


Holloa

by Sinnamon_Troll



Series: Fox hunting and star gazing [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, M/M, Multi, Nathaniel is akumatized for like this entire thing, Some Swearing, TW: Hanging for chapter six, it's not graphic and very brief though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:47:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21887671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinnamon_Troll/pseuds/Sinnamon_Troll
Summary: Lila Rossi finally tells one lie too many to the wrong person. Claiming to Nathaniel that the Evillustrator had once kidnapped her due to being in love with her, the quiet boy is shocked beyond words. Later, when she takes credit for one of Marinette’s more famous designs and the class fall over themselves to believe that Marinette is the one who lied about making the design, Nathaniel snaps. If Lila wants to fantasize about being kidnapped by the Evillustrator, Nathaniel is happy to oblige.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Series: Fox hunting and star gazing [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1689232
Comments: 111
Kudos: 525
Collections: MarcNath Fics!





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> So this is cross posted from Tumblr because it got too long and people kept asking to be added to the tag list which I am TERRIBLE at remembering so I thought this might be easier. This first chapter reads a little weird because it started as a 'what if' piece and then people demanded more. The rest are written like actual chapters. There is a tumblr master post here (https://whitetigerdemoness.tumblr.com/post/189659596592/hi-this-is-a-masterpost-for-all-the-chapters) that will have little extra things as they come up.
> 
> Holloa: A term used in medieval fox hunting. It describes a loud sound made to let others know you have spotted a fox.

I had an idea about Lila telling one lie too many to the wrong person.

She sits next to Nathaniel now right? Introvert Nath, who is probably a very good listener because he doesn’t want to talk. So Lila can happily chatter away in this one sided conversation about what ever she wants without feedback. Feedback which she uses to gauge how well her lies are working. So without this she just rambles along about anything.

It takes a couple weeks, but Lila finally says something that Nathaniel isn’t sure about. He doesn’t want to start drama, and he can’t actually _prove_ what she said is false, so he doesn’t call her out on it. Once you’ve noticed something wrong though you start paying more attention whether you like it or not. He notices Lila makes a lot of little claims that don’t really add up, but once again he doesn’t want to start a fight and he can’t really prove anything. 

Then Lila messes up big time. She’s constantly trying to get Nath to draw her into ‘his’ Ladybug comic and use her ideas (to which he politely tries to tell her _Marc_ is his writer, and if she wants to collab they can’t leave him out) until one day she claims that the reason she didn’t start school at the beginning of the year with everyone else, why she went with her mother on a diplomatic trip out of the country instead, was because this creepy old man had been stalking her, inspired by her beauty, and had been akumatized because of it, leading to her kidnapping.

The Akuma’s name? The Evillustrator. I would like to think that (especially for minors) an akumatized person’s identity is kept secret if possible after they’re cured. People may know what the akuma did and maybe the reasons, but not WHO they were. The classmates know because they were there, but it’s not really something people talk about so Lila doesn’t know who he was either. Just that he kidnapped a girl for a ‘date’ and Ladybug and Chatnoir had to save her. Lila naturally assumes that since akuma identities are not public knowledge there is no way her shy, quiet classmate would be able to contradict her, right?

Nathaniel is stunned into silence, staring at her in disbelief, which Lila takes as _interest_ and digs herself deeper. She goes on and on about how this middle aged man was stalking her, drawing creepy pictures of her, trying to ask her out ect. and how unsafe and traumatized she felt. She even had to get a restraining order against him, which is what triggered the Akumatization! It’s actually how she first met Ladybug, she saved Lila from Evillustrator! Then she took a trip with her mother to get some space, but returned to France to stay in school or something.

In the end Nath is equal parts too shocked at her claims and too wary of confrontation to call her out on it, but from then on he notices how absurd and outlandish some of Lila’s tales are. All the while dodging her efforts to get into his comic (and asking now and then about the manga publishers she promised to introduce him to? Not like he expects that to ever happen) and just trying to get through the day.

I think the boiling point would be when Lila claims to the whole class that _she_ designed Jagged Stone’s iconic Eiffel Tower sunglasses, and the class just wow’s and ah’s. (Marinette and Adrien are not there, as well as a handful of others because this is lunch break, but most of the class is there)

“Are you serious?” Nathaniel asked in disbelief. 

“Of course!” Lila preened, not catching his tone. “Uncle Jagged and I are so close, he really values my fashion input! Why just the other day-”

“No,” Nathaniel cut her off with a sharp motion. “Are YOU serious? You guys believe this? Out of every lie she’s forced you to swallow, you believe THIS one?” He gestured to the rest of the class, incredulous. 

“Nathaniel! How could you say something like that about Lila? Don’t tell me Marinette has gotten to you.” Gasped Alya.

“Alya…You do remember that _Marinette_ is the one who designed those glasses right? You were _there_. You claim to be her best friend, how can you constantly take Lila’s side over hers? This entire semester Marinette has been the only one brave enough to call out Lila’s BULLSHIT and you constantly shut her down!” He steamed. Nathaniel may not have romantic feelings for the bluenette anymore, but she was still his friend and he was tired of seeing her hurt by someone who claimed to care for her. For whatever credit you want to give her, Alya did pale as she realized the red head was right.

“W-what? What do you mean, M-Maritnette designed those glasses? Did she tell you that?” Lila sniffled, turning on the water works. “I can’ believe she would take credit for something she didn’t do, I thought she was a nice person and I w-wanted to give her another chance but to lie like that…to convince you that it was all her idea for attention…” She sobbed, hiding her face. The class, which had looked hesitant at the new information at first, quickly rallied behind the crying girl, glaring at Nathaniel. 

“Seriously? SERIOUSLY?!” He shouted, getting angrier by the minute. “You all believe that Marinette, sweet, helpful, kind Marinette, would LIE about something for attention? NONE of you think it’s odd that Marinette, who gives EVERYONE a chance can’t stand Lila says something about her?!”

“Yeah, it says she’s jealous to have her spot as class sweet heart usurped. We all know Marinette is only mean to Lila because Adrien is more interested in Lila than her. Just like you’re being blinded by your own crush on her. Come on dude, you’re smarter than this.” Quipped Kim. 

Nathaniel thought his hair had fallen into his face (well, more than usual) he was seeing so much red. The final straw though was seeing Maritnette and Adrien standing in the door way, realization on Adrien’s face and horror on Marrinette’s, that made his next heart beat take the shape of butterfly wings. He barely heard Hawkmoth’s usual spiel about Ladybug and Chatnoir’s miraculous as he bent over Lila, her face stained with crocodile tears that were quickly becoming real.

“Lets see how well that restraining order is working.” Purred the Evillustrator, smirk absolutely _feral_.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As an explanation for the end, it is my full belief Hawkmoth does not need a strong negative emotion to akumatize someone, just a strong emotion. Negative emotions are just easier for him to manipulate.

The day was not going so well for the Evillustrator. He had been moments away from chucking Lila Rossi, bound and gagged, of off the school roof when Ladybug and Chat Noir had arrived (How had they gotten there so _fast_ anyhow?). After a very brief scuffle he had barely managed to get away in one piece. Hawkmoth had been badgering him non-stop about fleeing instead of fighting, but Evillustrator had played this game before and lost. He had seen dozens of other Akuma try and ultimately fail against the super duo, all recklessly throwing themselves at the pair.

What he needed was a plan, something the red head had never been good at. He created things. He didn’t think about them. He needed someone to direct him. Someone good with seeing things from all their different angles. Not just anyone would do, it would have to be someone who knew how superheroes operated. Someone like…

“Hey Hawkmoth? Do you think you could send me another Akuma? I need my writer.”

…………………………………………….

Marc wasn’t having a very good day. First he had forgotten his lunch this morning. Then during science lab the akuma alarms had gone off and caused him to drop the glass beaker he had been holding on the floor, shattering it. Which caused his own personal bully to harass him more than usual. Which was a lot seeing as Juste had some weird hyper fixation on him as a target to begin with. Then when he thought he could finally escape to the art room at the end of the day (what? of course classes were not canceled. If class was canceled every time there was an akuma, there would be no class) Nathaniel had been absent. Oh, and it was raining and Marc had forgotten his umbrella. 

So here he was, hood pulled up in a futile attempt to keep dry, walking home alone. He had taken the back exit from the school to avoid the police cars out front, taking a statement from a sobbing girl Marc vaguely recognized as the new girl who sat next to Nathaniel that Nath grumbled about sometimes. Something about her being too talkative. Oh well, none of his business. Maybe if he got home fast enough he could sneak into his room before his older brother saw him and started picking on him. What a great day.

Marc was so wrapped up in his dour thoughts he didn’t notice the person standing in front of him until he walked into them. Instead of landing on his butt as he flinched away to apologize, warm arms wrapped around him holding him in place.

Grinning down at him (how? Marc was taller than Nath so why…?) was the Evillustrator.

Marc’s day really sucked.

——————————————————-

“So let me get this straight. You want me to voluntarily be akumatized again so I can come up with a plan for how you can defeat Ladybug and Chatnoir?” 

“So _we_ can defeat them!” Evillustrator said, almost pleading, a black butterfly lazily resting on his hat. The akuma had taken Marc to a currently abandoned warehouse, sweeping the shocked teen into his arms and hopping over rooftops like they were hopscotch squares. Evillustrator had used his powers to dry Marc off and create the most comfortable chair Marc had ever sat in. The akuma had also tried to create some hot chocolate, but had discovered his powers of creation did not extend to edible items. Every time he tried he only got wax and plastic props. Despite currently being a kidnapping victim, Marc was pretty content. He couldn’t remember the last time someone went so far to make him comfortable. There was only the small issue of his friend trying to posses him with a demonic butterfly.

“I don’t really want to defeat them. They protect the city from Hawkmoth. Besides, you basically have the most versatile super power ever. Why do you need me?” Even purple and wearing a ridiculous skin tight outfit (which Marc was NOT complaining about but…) Nathaniel, that is, Evillustrator was almost too adorable for Marc to say no too. Despite the stupid hat, those puppy eyes were lethal. 

“How….” Marc sighed, “How did you even get akumatized in the first place?” He really probably should have been more afraid of the akuma, but lavender or not this was _Nath._ Marcwas 90% certain he would never hurt him. 80%, Marc corrected glancing at the butterfly.

“ _Lila.”_ Evillustrator hissed, faced turning a complete 180 from adorable to menacing. Wow, were his teeth that sharp before? Maybe 80% was too generous, Marc thought though he still didn’t feel threatened. He probably needed to work on his self preservation instinct. 

“That conniving _vixen,”_ Evillustrator spat in a way that Marc was sure had he not been in polite company would have been an entirely different adjective “Since day one she has had the entire class wrapped around her little finger with her outrageous lies. She’s slowly been poisoning them against Marinette, the only one brave enough to stand up to her, and everyone BELIEVES her! Even me at first! I can’t believe I was so stupid…but today was the last straw.” Evillustrator had stood from where he had previously been kneeling at Marc’s feet and was now furiously pacing back and forth. Stalking, more like.

“Lila claimed to have created one of Marinette’s deigns herself, saying that MARINETTE was the one lying for attention and everyone just-just BELIEVED it!” The akuma shouted, throwing up his arms. “You know the worst part? Marinette got there just in time to hear how everyone thought she was a liar. Sweet, kind Marinette. I couldn’t take it anymore. I wish I had been brave enough to do something sooner, but now at least I’m strong enough to do something.” The dark look on Evillustrator’s face said that something might be homicide. 

“How do Ladybug and Chatnoir fit into all this?” Marc questioned. He had heard rumors about Marinette that painted her in a bad light, but had quickly dismissed them as nonsense. He had no idea they had gotten so bad…Marc felt a little guilty for not noticing sooner.

“As I was throwing Lila off the roof-”

“As you were WHAT?”

“-Ladybug and Chatnoir _saved_ her.” Evillustrator plowed on, ignoring the outburst. “Come to think of it, they always save Chole too, and XY’s manager that one time. If they’re such good people why are they always saving the bad guys?” Marc stopped Evillustrator’s furious pacing by grabbing his hands. In the back of his mind, Marc thought he must be having some sort of….mental breakdown, or crisis or something. Who just calmly walks up to an akuma and touches them? Him apparently. Why couldn’t he be this bold when Evillustrator was Nathaniel? There had to be something wrong with him that he felt calmer and more confident around his crush’s evil alter ego than his actual crush.

“Evillustrator,” Not Nathaniel. Akuma were notoriously touchy about their names. Having been akumatized himself once Marc sort of understood. He didn’t remember being Reverser, but he recalled feelings. Impressions. The names were _important_. “Ladybug and Chatnoir save them _because_ they’re the good guys. They wouldn’t be very heroic if they let someone die just because they didn’t like them. Besides, letting people die won’t solve anything anymore than throwing Lila off the school roof would.”

“You’re right.” Evillustrator murmured. “We should throw her off the Eiffel Tower.”

“ _No.”_ Marc scolded. “Please surrender to Ladybug. Then we can go home and-”

“No!” Evillustrator snapped, clutching Marc’s hands a little too tight in alarm. “I can’t do that! I _have_ to get their miraculous!” The akuma looked frantic. The butterfly that had been napping on his hat fluttered away as if startled.

“But _why?_ For Hawkmoth? What ever he promised you, it isn’t worth it.” Marc pleaded. 

“It is! You are!” The akuma spoke fervently, leaning closer to Marc’s face than he liked.

“M-me?” The writer stammered, puzzled.

“Yes.” Evillustrator whispered, voice going soft. “If I get him his treasures, he’ll let me keep _my_ treasure.” Marc’s heart was pounding so fast as he processed the confession he couldn’t tell you exactly when his beating heart became a fluttering butterfly.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Evillustrator and his new ally finally have Lila right where they want her! Now if only he can stop mutually fawning over his cute partner long enough to do something to her. Some quick concept sketches at the bottom of the new Akumas.

School today had been tense for Marinette to say the least. No one had been brave enough to say anything to her face, but she still heard murmurs. Some about how she had tricked Nathaniel into siding with her against Lila. Some about How Ladybug had yet to cure Evillustrator despite it having been more than 24 hours. True, no one knew the second set of gossip was about her, but she still felt bad about it. 

She and Chatnoir had pulled an all nighter last night looking for the artistic akuma and hand’t found a single red hair of him. She was getting kind of worried to be honest. Akuma’s didn’t just _disappear,_ they stomped around and caused chaos. They kidnapped people and made demands. 

“Oh my gosh! guys! Turn on your phones, Lila is on the news!”

Of course she is. Marinette scowled to herself. Probably telling the whole city her sob story, like she had to the police yesterday. Like she had to Ladybug and Chatnoir when they, desperate for leads, asked her to retell how her classmate had been akumatized. God, Marinette wanted a nap. She was so _tired_ of Lila. 

“Hello Paris!”

Wait. That wasn’t Lila. Marinette scrambled to pull out her phone.

“So happy you could join us all today for this very special episode of the Morning Gossip! I’m Penknight, formerly known as Evillustrator, and this beautiful gem is my partner, Prism.” Marinette’s trained designer eyes could definitely see traces of Evillustrator in Penknight’s costume. Take away the little armor pieces and he might still be Evillustrator. The giggling akuma he was holding hands with was new though. A white robed figure with a black face and solid green eyes stared at Penknight with obvious adoration. The only color on them was what looked like a multicolor ponytail hanging over one shoulder.

“Oh, and we can’t forget our super special guest Lila Rossi.” The two akuma’s stepped aside to reveal Lila tied up like a caterpillar on the interview couch, sitting next to a nervous looking Nadia Chamack and…Jagged Stone? Nadia and Jagged were free of restraints but looked uncomfortable none the less.

“We’re sorry to just show up unannounced and crash you interview Jagged, but when we heard you were in the area we just _had_ to bring Lila to come see you! She’s always telling us how close the two of you are, but how your busy schedule prevents you from getting together often.” The new akuma, Prism, was leaning against one of Penknight’s arms like a school girl with a crush. She (he? Marinette couldn’t actually tell) spoke in an airy, distracted kind of way. They might have been talking to Jagged but their eyes were only for Penknight, who was gazing back with an equally adoring look. It would be cute if they weren’t possessed by a villain with a butterfly theme.

“It was all my sweet Prism’s idea. So thoughtful!” Penknight cooed, leaning down slightly to rub noses with the other akuma.

“Oh, but it wouldn’t have been possible without my strong, handsome knight.” Prism sighed dreamily. The two continued to giggle and whisper to each other too low for the set microphone to catch until Jagged cleared his throat.

“Um, yeah, it was so nice of you lovelies to arrange this, but I have to say I’ve never seen this girl before in my life.” Lila looked like a ghost she had gone so white. Fitting, as the revelation made the entire classroom quiet as a mausoleum. 

“That’s fine!” Penknight laughed, waving a hand as if to brush away imaginary cobwebs. “I’m sure Nadia is happy to see her! Lila sits next to me in class you know, and she has been very excited about her internship with you. She talks about it all the time.” The set microphone started to whine with slight feedback the studio was so quiet.

“I…Penknight, correct? I’m sorry to tell you I’ve never met this young woman. The only student interns we have right now are Aurore and Mirelle.” Lila looked like she had swallowed a lemon tree. Penknight looked like he had won the lottery. Marinette felt like she had won the lottery. Judging by the stunned glances the rest of her class was giving her, Lila’s reign of terror was over.

“Oh dear, don’t cry!” Prism soothed, gently stroking Lila on the head. “So you’ve told a few lies to make people like you, who hasn’t! The important part is that you’re ready to stop making things up now and _become your true self.”_ The white robe Prism had been wearing unfolded around them (him, definitely a him Marinette thought, or else a REALLY flat chested girl…) revealing the robe to actually be a pair of gigantic, rainbow colored butterfly wings. Wings that began to sparkle as Marinette remembered oh yeah, she was a super hero and shouldn’t she be stopping this? The bluenette stammered an excuse about the bathroom and ran out of the classroom. Hopefully Ladybug could reach the studio before the two Akuma damaged more than just Lila’s reputation.

————————————————————-

Ladybug may be running late, but Adrien had made the transformation to Chatnoir the moment he had seen Lila on tv. Even as exhausted as he was from searching all night for Evillustrator it had still been relatively simple for him to slip out of class while everyone else was occupied with Lila’s latest drama. Chatnoir burst into the studio just as Prism shot Lila with multicolored light from his wings.

The change was instantaneous. Where before had sat a moderately attractive young woman was now an absolutely hideous old hag.

“My knight, if you would?” Prism asked, untying Lila. Penknight nodded and scribbled a quick sketch on the tablet attached to his arm. A floor length mirror popped into existence. 

“This is what happens when you lie and manipulate people. You may think you are making life better for yourself, but all you’re really doing is destroying your inner self.” If Chatnoir was being perfectly honest, he felt bad for Lila. Maybe Prism did too. The akuma was gently patting what remained of Lila’s hair as she sunk to the floor with a scream and began sobbing in earnest. Penknight just looked satisfied.

“Humiliating people isn’t very chivalrous. Luckily for you I’m here to send you back to knight school.” Chatnoir quipped, making a shooing motion at Nadia, Jagged, and the camera crew who gladly took the hint and ran out of the studio. Good. It was easier to deal with akuma when civilians weren’t in the way. Akumas who were now smirking at him like a cat in the cream. Oh, that couldn’t be good…

“Chatnoir! Great of you to finally show up, and without Ladybug! That just makes this even easier!” Penknight boasted, snapping the tablet off of his arm. The device glowed and elongated into a giant old fashioned pen, no, wait, was that a **sword**? Could Evillustrator do that before? Chat really didn’t like where this was going. 

“If you’re asking for a duel, I’ll have to warn you. I’m pretty skilled in sword play.” Chatnoir confidently boasted, extending his baton.

“Duel? Don’t be silly Chatnoir. I’m just going to make you a little more comfortable while we wait for Ladybug. Creation!” Penknight stabbed his sword into the ground, a beam of light racing towards Chatnoir as the superhero thought, oh shit!

————————————————————————

“Ladybug! Chatnoir has the akuma cornered in studio seven!”

“Thanks Nadia! Now get to safety!” Ladybug raced through the halls, grateful that the black cat was already on the scene. Evillustrator was a tough enemy, and Ladybug was willing to bet his change of style meant more than just a new outfit. Studio seven…studio seven…there!

“My lady wait-!”

“Ah!” Ladybug yelped as a net sprang up from the floor as soon as she entered, binding her from her feet to her neck.

“Hello Ladybug. Better late than never.” Prism waved from where he was sitting on Chatnoir who had been similarly imprisoned from the neck down. Except where she was in a net he was in some sort of iron casing. The hero lay on his side looking very distressed. Penknight sauntered over from where he had been standing behind the studio doors, the net undoubtedly his doing. Further into the studio was a hunched, sobbing figure Ladybug assumed was Lila.

“Penknight! Prism! Let Lila Rossi go! She has nothing to do with this.” Penknight shook his head as he walked over to the camera, turning it to face the imprisoned heroes.

“She has everything to do with this, but honestly she’s been free to go since Chatnoir got here. Having had her lies refuted on live, public television she’s a bit too distraught to think about escaping, you understand. Before we give your miraculous to Hawkmoth, lets dispel one more. Ladybug, is it true that Lila is your best friend?” Ladybug’s mind was racing a mile a minute, looking for a way out of this predicament. She’d stall for time for now.

“No, and I’ve said as much before. The only way I know Lila Rossi is because she has been akumatized, something she will happily boast about if asked.”

“My Lady-” Chatnoir started, sweating and looking strained, only to be cut off by a faint beeping.

“Chat? Was…was that your ring?” Ladybug whispered in horror, already knowing the answer from the look on her partners face.

“He really doesn’t have much time before he transforms back. I’m glad we got one last confession before _cutting_ the news feed.” Penknight said, slashing the camera in half with his sword. “We really don’t have anything against you two, and we’d like to keep your identities secret out of respect if we can.” The akuma sounded mildly regretful.

“I’m sorry, my lady. They outsmarted me.” Chatnoir said, ears drooping.

“Don’t feel too bad.” Prism said, using his feet to roll Chatnoir back and forth slightly, still sitting on him. A rattling sound came from within the iron barrel. “It was a pretty simple trick, I’m surprised no one thought of it before. All we did was encase this poor kitty in _two_ traps that didn’t touch each other. So when he cataclysmed the inner one, the outer one was still intact and- wait.” Prism chuckled. “Why am I explaining this to you? We might have to wait for Chatnoir to transform back, but we can just take your earrings _now.”_

 _“Lucky Charm!”_ Ladybug gasped in alarm. Oh thank Tiki, she thought as she felt the handle of a knife pop into her hand. Penknight lunged for her earrings, but she managed to slip free of the net just in time.

“Bringing a knife to a sword fight? I like my odds.” Penknight sneered, sizing her up. Another beep came from Chatnoir’s ring.

“My lady, please, _run.”_ She did.

—————————————————————————–

“Well, that wasn’t very nice of her. I thought heroes were the ‘together to the end’ types.” Prism said, watching Penknight race out of the studio after Ladybug.

“Ladybug is smart. She knows when to make a sacrifice.” Chatnoir sighed, heart aching. He might be done for, but at least Ladybug was safe. For now.

“Oh.” Prism said, giving Chatnoir a gentle expression. “You really love her, don’t you?”

“What would you know about it?” Chatnoir grumbled. He expected Prism to be angry, instead the akuma only laughed.

“About love? A few things. It’s what akumatized me after all. The boy I liked told me in the most beautiful way that he liked me back and the next thing I know…” Prism unfolded his wings and held a hand to his heart. “ **This** had happened. It’s probably fortunate for you Hawkmoth prefers to use negative emotions, or you and Ladybug would never win.”

“Yeah? What makes you say that?” The sweat running down his face was making Chatnoir want to sneeze. What a great time to have his hands literally tied.

“Well,” Prism laughed again. “I don’t have an akumatized object for one. The akuma is in my _heart._ How would you even get it out? I don’t take either of you to be the type that would be ok with dismemberment.”

What ever Chatnoir was going to say in return was cut off as his miraculous gave one final beep and detransformed him. It was over. He’d lost. Adrien was just glad Penknight had destroyed the camera before he left.

“Adrien? Adrien _Agreste_?But…wow. I wasn’t expecting-” A purple butterfly mask made of light appeared on Prism’s face, a sure sign that Hawkmoth was talking to him. From the sound of the one sided conversation the villain was making some ridiculous demands too.

“Let him _go_? Hawkmoth are you insane, we have him right where we want him! The cat miraculous is finally yours-yes-no-but! No! Why would he help you? I, ugh!” Prism collapsed as if in pain, writhing on the floor. Moments later a black butterfly rose from his form, leaving only Marc Anciel behind. Oh. Adrien thought. That makes sense, considering Penknight used to be Nathaniel. The blonde swore the only one who didn’t know the artist was head over heels for the quiet writer was Marc himself. Imagine being that oblivious. Crazy.

Marc blinked at him in confusion, memories from his time as an akuma gone. The akuma in question flapped it’s way across the studio to land…on Lila. Volpina rose from the girl’s hunched form, face twisted into a furious snarl.

“ _You.”_ She growled, pointing her flute at Marc, “Will PAY for what you did to me.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s more than one way to skin a fox, but some are more satisfying than others. Careful though, the fox is cunning and her den is lined with the hides of fools.

Ladybug panted as she back flipped away from another trap. Her original goal was to find a place to detransform, find Master Fu to borrow some help, and then return to rescue Chatnoir. Penknight had other ideas. The akuma was relentless, stabbing his sword into the floors and walls, creating nets, boxes, and even a giant stuffed fish at one point. Penknight seemed just as confused as her at that one, so Ladybug assumed it was a mistake. Penknight not having full control over his powers would be fortunate if she could think of a way to trick him into creating what she wanted somehow. Or lure him into one of his own traps…

“Ladybug, duck!” Battle instincts flattened her to the floor as a light blue lyre sailed over her and clocked Penknight in the face, causing him to trip over a pile of netting.

“Are you ok, Ladybug?” She wanted to sob in relief as a strong, gentle hand helped her to her feet.

“Viperion! Am I glad to see you! Chatnoir-!” Ladybug was cut off by a scream of pain coming from behind the studio doors. She had barely made it down the hallway huh? If Viperion hadn’t shown up, Penknight might really have gotten her. Speaking of the akuma, he was listening to the screams with a puzzled expression, head tilted. Horror spread across his features as he seemed to realize something, abandoning the two heroes without a backwards glance.

“That can’t be good. We have to get in there!” Ladybug started for the doors, earrings beeping. 

“Second Chance! Ladybug, one moment!” Viperion pulled her back. “When you get in there, you cannot be shocked at who Chatnoir is. I’m not sure on the particulars, but the other akuma has changed into Volpina. She hurt Penknight’s friend, and he’s pretty ticked off at her. If we play this right, he’ll side with us against her and Hawkmoth.” The snake hero spoke quickly with one breath, barely giving her time to process before heading into the studio ahead of her. She was certain this information had come from using his second chance, but who could Chatnoir possibly be that would be shocking to her? Guess it was time to find out.

Inside, Volpina and Penknight were audibly snarling at each other from across the room, sounds a human throat shouldn’t be able to make. The male akuma crouched over the shaking form of…Marc? That solved the mystery of who Prism had been at least. Details about how _that_ had happened could come later. Taking a deep breath Ladybug glanced over at where Viperion was freeing Chatnoir from his imprisonment. Only instead of Chat it was…

“ _Adrien_?” She hissed, feeling like a giant fist had socked her in the gut. Viperion shook his head and then jerked it at the two akuma. Right, focus Marinette, focus.

“ _Stay back_.” Penknight snapped at her as she tried to approach him, and then again at Volpina when she tried to step forward.

“Penknight, please, let me help. Marc looks like he’s hurt.” She pleaded softly. Get him on their side, Viperion had said. She didn’t have to fake the concern in her voice, Marc looked pretty shaken.

“Oh, and here comes Ladybug to kiss it all better.” Volpina sneered, crossing her arms. “Must be nice to be one of your favorites. Some hero. You’ll humiliate me in front of my friends, but jump off a bridge to help someone who doesn’t _deserve it._ ” she spat.

“Marc didn’t deserve to have his his leg broken, Lila. Just like Marinette never deserved to be expelled for your lies, and Nathaniel didn’t deserve to become akumatized because of them. How they did it was horrible, but this has been a long time coming Lila. You did this to yourself.” Adrien looked sad as Viperion helped him up. 

“Nath?” Ladybug heard Marc whisper. Penknight gave him a gentle look before snapping back into a defensive position when Volpina started screaming.

“Shut up! SHUT UP! They deserved everything that happened to them! How DARE they defy me! Everyone should LOVE me! I’m more special than ANY of you will ever be! You’re all just jealous that I have the power to make or break someone with a word, when all the rest of you can do is hope to have even a MOMENT of my attention. Once I’ve dealt with you Ladybug, I’ll break more than just that worm’s leg. I’ll break him apart!” She screamed and stomped, spit flying.

“You’ll have to get through me first. I’d say I was going to beat you ugly, but I don’t see how you could possibly get uglier on the outside than you are on the inside.” Ladybug stepped in front of Penknight and Marc, spinning her yoyo into a shield. She didn’t like putting her back to the akuma, but she trusted Viperion to warn her if this backfired. Her earrings gave a final, frantic beep and she felt herself begin to detransform. Five minutes was really not enough time.

“Creation!” Penknight shouted from behind her. A sheet dropped down on her just a hair faster than her transformation dropped. She vaguely heard Chatnoir shout his transformation phrase at the same time. 

“Penknight!” Volpina spoke, volume lower than it had been moments ago but still angry. “What are you doing? Grab her miraculous!”

“Go to hell! You promised me Marc would be safe! Instead you stole his akuma and gave it to _her,_ then stood back while she tried to beat him to death! We had Ladybug and Chatnoir defeated! If you hadn’t double crossed us, their miraculous would be yours by now. If you want them now, you’ll have to take them from _me_.” Penknight growled. 

“Obey me boy, or I’ll take your akuma instead.” Marinette deduced that Hawkmoth was speaking through Volpina. It would only take seconds for the villain to strip Nathaniel of his powers. Tiki shared a frantic look with her, the little kwami eating as fast as she could.

“Then why haven’t you already done that? I think you _can’t,_ for the same reason I haven’t heard you in my head since Prism changed me from Evillustrator to Penknight. The moment he transformed me, I became _his_.” Penknight laughed. “Is that why you took his akuma away? Were you jealous or just scared, Hawkmoth?” He taunted. Tiki patted her leg and gave her a nod.

“Spots on!” She said, rising as Ladybug and tossing off the sheet. The scene hadn’t changed much while she couldn’t see. Penknight was now standing slightly in front of her with Viperion and Chatnoir. Chatnoir who was actually Adrien. Ladybug shook her head to clear it before she spiraled into a panic over that. She took a quick glance behind her at Marc, who was sweating and very pale. 

‘don’t worry about me’ he mouthed, directing her back towards the standoff. Ladybug thought they should absolutely be worrying about him, he didn’t look too good.

“Chatnoir, I need you to get Marc out of here. He needs medical attention and you’ve been compromised. Viperion, Penknight, and I are more than enough to deal with Volpina.” Chat looked like he wanted to argue, but deflated without saying anything.

“You’re right, my lady. I’ll-”

“Adrien!” Hawkmoth as Volpina called out. “Don’t you want to help your mother?” Chatnoir froze. The akuma smirked behind the glowing butterfly mask, knowing they had gotten the heroes attention. “With your and Ladybug’s miraculous, you could bring her back to you. You could even continue to be Chatnoir afterwards. The wish does not consume the miraculous. Think about it Adrien, you could have it all if you only join me.”

“Your mother…” Ladybug whispered. Marinette had never known the woman, but she knew Adrien missed her terribly. She took a deep breath to steel herself. “Chatnoir, making a wish on the miraculous requires a sacrifice of equal value. Yes, they could bring her back, but are you prepared to shoulder that cost?” Her heart broke with every word. Hawkmoth dangling hope like this in front of him was cruel, but she felt even crueler for denying it to him. Still, Ladybug could feel deep in her bones that that wish would backfire, bringing only more pain. Was it selfish she wanted to spare Adrien that pain more than she wanted to protect the miraculous?

“Ah, but who says the sacrifice has to be yours? If we must exchange a life for a life well, Paris is full of the old and sick. Would it not be a mercy to end their suffering for such a noble cause? They would thank you for giving their lives such a glorious purpose.” Hawkmoth-Volpina purred, words smooth as honey. Chatnoir didn’t seem to agree. His face twisted from pain to rage as he faced the possessed akuma.

“You’re the one who is sick Hawkmoth. Mom would _never_ want to be brought back in such an evil way. She would be horrified to learn someone had to die for her to live. I love and miss her more than anything but this…I could never disappoint her like that.” Chatnoir furiously rubbed at his eyes to remove the tears that had leaked out. “You act like you care, but you’re nothing but a monster.” He hissed.

Hawkmoth-Volpina rocked back on their heels like the words had had physical force. They appraised the four heroes (well, three heroes and one seriously pissed off akuma who happened to be helping them) with a calculating look. Finding the odds stacked against them, they raised their flute to their lips.

“This isn’t over.” They hissed, throwing out an illusion that coalesced into a thick wall between the two parties. When Penknight sliced his sword through the illusion to dispel it, Volpina was gone. That seemed good enough for the akuma, who turned his sword back into a tablet and knelt over Marc.

“Hold still ok? I don’t know how to set broken bones, but I can at least give you a cast until we can get you to the hospital.” He spoke soothingly, sketching out exactly that. Marc was panting like he couldn’t get enough air as Penknight gently lifted him into his arms.

“Penknight, hold on. If you’re really on our side, you need to surrender your akuma before Hawkmother regains control of you.” The Akuma snapped his head up to glare at her. She gave him a wary glance before continuing. “Chatnoir…Adrien. I need you to give me your miraculous. Hawkmoth knows who you are now and keeping it would put you in danger.” Chatnoir sagged starting to take off his ring.

“That’s bullshit. He’s going to be in danger either way, and you want to take away his only means to defend himself? I’m sure Hawkmoth would love a tidy little hostage like that. What ever, I don’t have time for this. If you want my akuma you’ll have to rip it out of me yourself. I’m taking Marc to the hospital.” Penknight growled, stomping off before a pained gasp from Marc made him soften his footsteps.

Ladybug started after the akuma, but Viperion’s hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“I never thought I would agree with an akuma, but Penknight may be right. I don’t think he’s going to cause any trouble as long as Marc needs him, and the three of us need to take a moment to breathe. Today had been…stressful to say the least, and you should make sure your mind is clear before making such an important decision.” Ladybug was glad someone was feeling calm enough to keep their head. Hers was a mess. So many thoughts and emotions were running through her mind she didn’t know what to do.

“Viperion, you don’t understand, this isn’t Ladybug’s rule, it’s the Guardian’s. She doesn’t have a say in this.” Even now Chat was defending her. She really didn’t deserve him, Ladybug thought miserably.

“A third party? That explains how my miraculous showed up when both of you were busy. My point still stands. Ladybug, Chatnoir, take my miraculous back and hold court with this guardian. If you need me after you know where to find me.” Viperion nodded, preparing to detransform.

“Viperion, wait.” Ladybug said. “You’re right. Chat and I are long over due for a talk with Master, but I have a different job for you. Your miraculous doesn’t have a time limit and while I agree Penknight would never hurt Marc, he doesn’t share the same concern for other people. Please keep an eye on him while we sort this out.”

“Of course, Ladybug.” Viperion smiled, taking his leave. With the other hero gone, the silence hung heavy between the duo. 

“Well…guess we should go see Master Fu.” Chatnoir said, rubbing the back of his head. “I don’t know how to contact him, so I’ll follow you like always my lady.” He smiled, though it looked strained.

“Finding the master isn’t as easy as it sounds.” Ladybug sighed, really wanting more than anything to just go home and _sleep._ “but when is anything we do easy? Come on kitty, lets get some coffee before I pass out.”


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve started titling this “Evie vs Lila” in my drafts and I kinda wish Penknight was still Evillustrator so I could have Marc call him that.

Ladybug and Chatnoir didn’t have to look far for coffee. Being a news station they had their own little coffee shop on the first floor, whom were more than happy to give the heroes free java in exchange for tea. I mean, details about the akuma attack. Desperately trying to keep her eyes open, having been awake for more than 24 hours at this point, Ladybug gave them the gist of it. 

Hawkmoth had decided Volpina would be a better bet than Prism, forcing his akuma to change hosts. The duo had to wait for the reporters to quiet down before continuing when they revealed that Penknight had managed to throw off Hawkmoth’s control and was currently a free agent. They left out the details of how that had happened, saying only that Penknight was still active, but without his partner had been regulated to ‘lesser threat’ and Viperion was keeping an eye on him for now. They warned the citizens of Paris about Volpina’s illusions, and to be wary of anything unusual they saw until she was cured.

“Unusual like letting not one, but two akuma run free?” A reporter called from the back. Ladybug rubbed at her eyes. Please let this day be over soon, she groaned internally.

“Volpina’s illusions can be dispelled with a touch. If need be, Chatnoir and I are willing to let someone, shake our hands or something, to prove we’re real. As for Penknight the situation is…complicated. Volpina blames his partner, Prism, for humiliating her on live tv and has targeted him. Since Prism has been cured, he is vulnerable to her and having thrown off Hawkmoth’s control Penknight’s only interest seems to be protecting him. Viperion is going to be sticking to him like glue until Chatnoir and I deal with Volpina.” She locked eyes with a short man in a baseball cap and a hawaiian shirt at the back of the room. Seeing he had gotten her attention, the man slowly made his way to the side exit. Well, that was convenient. Now to ditch the reporters.

“That’s all the time we have for now, thank you!” Ladybug said, dragging away Chatnoir who was tolerating various reporters poking him to see if he was real. She lead him out the main doors, taking a wide circle back to the alley between the news station and another building. Before leaping down to talk with Fu, Ladybug turned to Chatnoir.

“Chat…we need to talk before seeing the master. About your miraculous.” Chatnoir looked as tired as she felt. She couldn’t imagine how much stress this whole thing was placing him under.

“My Lady…You don’t need to say anything. I know what’s right. If it was only you and Viperion, I might protest, but Hawkmoth knowing is inexcusable. Just now…when he started talking about how I could get my mom back if I joined him? I was really, really tempted. I know she would hate me for doing it but…I miss her so much, you know?” The cat hero sagged, looking like he had aged a decade in an instant. She had been uncertain about what to do before now, but seeing Chatnoir, seeing Adrien, look so defeated and hopeless gave her determination. Rules be damned. Chat Noir was more than just her crush, he was her _partner_. 

“I’m not letting the master take your miraculous.” Ladybug said firmly. “I might not be thinking as straight as I could right now due to sleep loss, but I know in my heart that there could never be a better cat miraculous wielder than you. I know you don’t remember some of it due to the miraculous ladybug, but I would have been dead a dozen times over without you. Not defeated, _dead_.” 

She pulled him into a hug, just as much for her comfort as his. She thought back to a blinding white world, the moon in pieces and Paris under water. She knew there were consequences to what she was about to do. Possible consequences. If her encounters with Bunnix and the miraculous in general had taught her anything, it was that the future was never set stone and that hope was so much stronger than fear.

“I’ve never agreed with how we’re supposed to keep our identities secret from each other. Especially knowing what I know now, I can see so many situations that could have ended better or we could have avoided completely if we knew who each other was. I don’t think the other heroes should know but us? We’re a team, and we’re not at full strength if we’re keeping secrets from each other.” Chat clung to her like a lifeline. It hurt her heart to pry him away, but she needed to see him for this next part.

“Adrien Agreste, my name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’ve had the biggest crush on you since the day you lent me your umbrella, and I am _not_ letting you go just because some old man who would rather force a pair of teenagers to be responsible for all of Paris instead of shouldering the burden himself thinks we should.” Oh dear god, she had said it. She had finally said it. She confessed to Adrien. She had always thought it would be more romantic than this. Not half crazy from sleep loss and smelling like cheap coffee.

“ _Marinette_?” Chatnoir whispered the word like it was something fragile, precious. “No, that’s not possible. I saw Marinette and you at the same time when Marinette was Multimouse.” Ladybug sighed.

“That is exactly the kind of situation I’m talking about where not knowing our identities makes things harder than it needs to be. Kwami Buster almost had us because we had to avoid each other. At that time, I used the fox miraculous alongside the mouse to create an illusion so you would leave before my time ran out. Also so you didn’t discover who I was. That entire mess could have ended very badly and been easily avoided if we had only _known_.” Chatnoir took a moment to process this. As he came to terms with Ladybug and Marinette being the same person, his eyes lit up like stars.

“Marinette is Ladybug.” He laughed. “This had to be some weird dream because I can not be that lucky.” Ladybug blushed and looked away.

“Contemplating your state of cosmic karma will have to wait kitty. We’re going to need to have a much longer talk about…all of this later but for now if we keep Master Fu waiting any longer he’s going to be suspicious.” Chat grabbed her hand as she prepared to jump down.

“Ladybug wait, what are we going to tell him about my miraculous?”

“If that luck of yours holds out? Absolutely nothing. I meant what I said. I’m done with letting someone who shoulders none of the responsibility make all of the decisions.”

——————————————————————————————— 

Chatnoir’s luck held out just fine in the end. Ladybug had had to slowly count the bricks in the alley wall to keep her cool as Master Fu gently scolded them over not only having failed to cure either akuma after so long, but also for letting Viperion keep his miraculous unsupervised. She could tell from the tightness around Chatnoir’s eyes he was having a similar problem. Their talk on the roof had really driven home just how unequal the balance of duties were between the two heroes and the miraculous guardian. 

As Fu lectured, Ladybug thought about all the ways he made life difficult for them. They ranged from forcing Ladybug and Chatnoir to remain secret from each other to his new vagrant life that made obtaining allies tedious, if not impossible at some points. In her exhausted mind she wondered if he even wanted them to defeat Hawkmoth. If protecting the miraculous was so important a wielder had to give theirs up when their identity was discovered, why did Fu get to keep an entire box full of them when Hawkmoth knew who he was?

The errant thought sent a jolt of alertness down Ladybug’s spine. That was actually a really good question. Not only was Fu in custody of every miraculous except hers and Chat’s, he knew the identity of every wielder save Hawkmoth and Mayura. If anyone was a security risk, it was Master Fu. Ladybug knew logically SOMEONE had to be in charge of the miraculous, but in her tired, fed up state she was only angry at how strictly the guardian held them to rules he himself flaunted.

“Master,” Ladybug began as politely as she could manage, “We know leaving the miraculous unattended can be dangerous, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask for one more.” Fu gave her a disapproving look, but she plowed onwards. “Our enemies have proven they’re capable of making long term plans, but they’re not the only ones. I have an idea but I need the bee miraculous for it to work.”

“The bee miraculous, Ladybug?” The old man sounded disappointed in her. She kept her nerve. Ladybug was done caring about what he thought about her. For now at least. After some sleep she might change her mind, but for now? She was exhausted. “I hope you know the right person to give it to.”

“Don’t worry Master Fu, I know _exactly_ who deserves this miraculous.”

————————————————————————————–

Bee miraculous tucked safely away in her yo-yo, it was time to check in on Viperion and Penknight. She talked her plan over with Chatnoir as they made their way to the address Viperion had texted them, trying very hard to focus on the matter at hand and not let her mind wander over how one might text with a lyre. She’d expected him to be hesitant at who she wanted to give the bee miraculous to, but was surprised when he was in full support of her idea. She only hoped her candidate felt the same, especially since they were essentially dumping an akuma on top of them.

Arriving at the hospital, Ladybug and Chatnoir were ushered in by relieved looking medical staff. As they neared the room Marc was staying in she could see why. The two heroes probably would have been able to find the room without directions just by following the shouting.

“Oh thank heavens.” A harassed looking doctor said as she caught sight of the two heroes. The graying woman was standing between two groups of people, and her expression said she wasn’t pleased with either of them. On one side was Viperion and Penknight, the snake hero very firmly holding the fuming akuma in place. On the other was Alya Cesaire, recording the incident with her phone no doubt for the Ladyblog, and a man in an official looking suit. Alya was slightly off to the side, looking only slightly less angry with the suited man than Penknight did. Ladybug felt a headache coming on. Why did things need to be more complicated than they already were?

“Please convince at least one of these parties to leave. I don’t care if it’s the akuma or Mr. Berger but one of them has got to go. This is a place of healing and that means _quiet_.” The doctor ordered more than asked.

“The akuma OR me? Insinuating this _demon_ has more right than a member of the Office of Akuma Affairs to be here?” The suited man, Mr. Berger, sneered. Oh boy, the Wah Wah were here. The official abbreviation was OAA but Ladybug and Chatnoir referred to them as the Wah Wah, because without fail they showed up after an Akuma attack to go ‘waaah waaah’.

“Your party is NOT officially recognized by the Parisian government, making you essentially a civilian. The akuma was behaving himself until you came in and started stomping around, making accusations and demands for confidential patient information.” The doctor snapped at him.

“Ladybug, this guy has been running his mouth something awful. Viperion has been doing a great job of keeping Penknight in check, but I think I know who is behind that door and if this starched monkey makes one more insinuation about their virtue Penknight won’t have to deck him because I will.” Alya steamed. “I’ve been turning a blind eye to people bad mouthing my friends for too long to let this one go.”

“So you admit to being friends with one of these demons? Not surprising that the writer for the trash rag you call the ‘Ladyblog’ is friendly with the enemy. You vomit praises for these masked terrorists so easily it’s not a surprise at all to find you supporting another one.” Mr.Berger harrumphed.

Among the demands of the Wah-Wah were that akuma identities should be public record, alongside that of heroes. Of course, they didn’t believe the miraculous wielders were heroes at all, but rather part of Hawkmoth’s scheme to terrorize the city. Their biggest talking point on this was how Ladybug and Chatnoir had conveniently showed up the same day Hawkmoth did, and how easily they seemed to defeat his minions. The two parties _must_ be staging the fights, claimed the Office of Akuma Affairs. Even the akuma were paid actors, and the part about them losing their memories after being cured was a lie. How could someone not remember becoming a super villain and rampaging through the city? They asked.

The Wah-Wah demanded that the heroes be held accountable for the destruction of the city on a regular basis (as if Ladybug’s magic didn’t fix everything good as new) and for the lasting psychological trauma the akuma wrought. That second demand…Ladybug felt guilty for how many people got hurt in some of their worse battles. Sometimes people who were hurt, or even died, were revived good as new without their memories of the incident. Sometimes they remembered every second. After Syren, various support and therapy groups had popped up in the city to help those who remembered drowning, or watching loved ones suffer. Those groups grew in number and membership as time went on and akumas toppled buildings and destroyed bridges full of people. Ladybug thought back to the destroyed Paris of the future. Had her miraculous ladybug revived everyone? Did they remember dying? Was there an alternate future somewhere where Chatnoir was hated even more than Hawkmoth for destroying the world? Ladybug glanced at her partner, who had stepped over to help Viperion with Penknight. That was one future that would _never_ happen, she vowed.

“Mr. Berger, we’re not even sure if Penknight still counts as an akuma right now. His situation is one we haven’t encountered before. What I can tell you is that as long as you are not a threat to…the person he’s protecting, he’s not a threat to you.” Chatnoir tried in a diplomatic tone.

“Unique situation?” Alya chimed in, perking up at potential spicy news for her blog.

“Hawkmoth doesn’t control me anymore.” Penknight huffed. “That doesn’t mean I’m suddenly on the side of angels. You say _one more thing_ about my treasure and I’m throwing you off the roof.” He growled. 

“Dude what is it with you and chucking people off rooftops?” Chatnoir wondered aloud.

“I’ll say whatever I want about that _whore_ you’re hiding-!” Mr. Berger didn’t get to finish his sentence as Penknight screeched and lunged at him, only the combined efforts of Viperion and Chatnoir keeping the maybe akuma from swatting the man’s head off with supernatural strength. 

“Oh that’s it” Alya growled, putting her phone down and pushing up a sleeve. Ladybug jerked her back on her way to get between the two parties.

“You stay there.” She said to Alya. “You calm down!” She shoved a finger in Penknight’s face “And you shut up before _I_ toss you off the roof!” She hissed at Mr. Berger. “Whatever your personal feelings on the matter are, people who have been akumatized currently have the right to remain anonymous, especially minors!”

“So the little harlot is a minor, hmm? I bet I know exactly which school she goes to as well. College Dupont seems to be a breeding ground for filth.” The idiot in a suit smirked looking smug.

“He’s not a girl!” Penknight snapped, still struggling against the two heroes. Ladybug winced, she knew Marc was sensitive about his feminine appearance, but Penknight had just unwittingly given the man more ammunition. 

“That thing was a boy?” Berger hissed in disgust. “A demon _and_ a _fa_ -” a sharp smack cut the man off before he could finish that last syllable. The woman doctor raised her hand again as the suited man turned to her with his mouth open.

“That. Is. _Enough._ ” The woman gritted out. “You will leave my hospital of your own free will, or I will have security THROW you out.” Said security guards shifted nervously in the background. “Ladybug, I’m sorry, but I really will have to ask your party to leave as well. The patient has received all the care we can give him at this point and should really go home and rest. The only reason he has a room is because Mr.Penknight bullied my staff into giving him one. Leave. Please.”

“Of course doctor, that was our intention from the start. Volpina is still after m-uh, “Prism”, and we have a safer location in mind.” She said to Penknight when he looked like he was going to protest. “Do the windows on this floor open?” She asked the doctor.

“How dare you you vile-” Mr. Berger began to spit, but the doctor wasn’t having it. 

“Security!” She called over his rant, stepping aside to let the two nervous looking men in uniform attempt to push the raging man towards the elevator. “No Ladybug, they do not. No windows in patient rooms do, it’s a jump\fall hazard.”

“That’s not a problem. I can just erase and replace the window.” Penknight offered, looking calmer already as the Wah-Wah man was forced away.

“Let’s do that. Leaving from the lobby seems like a bad idea.” Ladybug sighed rubbing a hand over her face.

“Ladybug, one moment! Do you have anything to say for the Ladyblog?” Alya asked, not about to let a potential scoop go by.

“Is this live?” Ladybug asked as Viperion followed Penknight into the hospital room they had been guarding. Chatnoir lingered outside, waiting for her. 

“No, I try to avoid live streams now days just in case something…sensitive needs to be edited out.” Maybe there was a brain in her friend’s head after all, Ladybug thought to herself. She leaned in close to whisper the next part, not wanting to be overheard.

“Then go home and keep an eye open. This is shaping up to be a huge mess and we might need all hands on deck later.” Ladybug certainly hoped not, but she knew the words would keep the girl safe at home and out of the line of fire.

“Ah, right! Of course Ladybug! Maybe I can get that interview some other time.” The red head said, putting her phone away. Ladybug forced a smile and went to join the others in Marc’s hospital room.

“Did you mean that My Lady? Do you think we’re really going to need everyone later?” Chatnoir asked as he closed the door behind her, miraculous enhanced hearing easily having caught the exchange.

“I hope not kitty, but it was the first thing that came to mind to get her out of here.” Penknight had generously allowed Viperion to hold Marc (who was fast asleep. At least someone was getting some rest) as he erased the window. That didn’t stop the akuma from hovering like a mother hen the entire time.

“Relax, I’ve got him. He won’t even feel a bump.” Viperion soothed. He left out that Marc might not have felt anything even if he were awake due to the pain medication the hospital staff had given him. Ladybug was once again very, very glad that calm, level headed Luka was who Master Fu has sent to help and not one of the other heroes. Maybe he could do some things right, though most likely Luka had been the only one he could find during school hours. Oh god, school. Marinette and Adrien had just left in the middle of the day, though since Alya had been here just moments ago perhaps they had been released early. Or maybe the reporter had ditched to get a scoop. Wouldn’t be the first time.

“Don’t go too far.” Penknight warned, stepping out behind the snake hero to balance on the small ledge running along the side of the building.

“Just to the next rooftop.” Viperion promised, before making the jump. Penknight leaned after him like he wanted to follow, but pulled himself back. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get out.” The akuma huffed at the remaining heroes. Neither Ladybug nor Chatnoir argued, jumping after Viperion and waiting with him on the next rooftop for Penknight.

“How is he?” Chatnoir asked, gesturing to Marc.

“Better than he could have been if Penknight hadn’t managed to get Volpina off him in time, and keep her off. Only his leg is broken and it was a clean break.” The shadowed look on Viperion’s face said he had seen a future where that hadn’t been true. Chatnoir winced in sympathy, and Ladybug abruptly recalled his (not so) brief time as Aspik, who had spent months of second chances essentially watching her die. Suddenly the over protective attitude Chatnoir had had recently made more sense. At first it had annoyed her, but with this new context she felt devastated. The two of them really, really needed to sit down for a long talk and maybe spa day.

“Alight where are we going?” Penknight cut Ladybug from her thoughts, landing next to the heroes and holding out his arms in a clear demand for Viperion’s precious cargo. Viperion gently transferred the sleeping boy to the akuma without a word. Marc sighed and buried his face in the akuma’s chest without waking up, causing Penknight to give him the dopiest grin. Ladybug had to face it, Penknight’s devotion to his friend (maybe more?) was downright adorable. It was a shame he wasn’t going to remember any of this when she finally cured him.

“Ah, My lady, that could be us but you playin’” Chatnoir teased. Ladybug rolled her eyes good naturedly. 

“I thought you liked games kitty.” She teased back, booping him on the nose. Viperion cleared his throat, looking amused and…a little sad? Maybe he was feeling left out.

“Right. Our destination. I honestly never thought I would say this, but there’s only one person qualified to keep Volpina away from Marc while Chatnoir and I get some rest. Mostly because Volpina would never think to look there.”

“Rest?” Penknight interrupted “With Volpina after Marc?” The akuma looked mutinous. 

“ ‘Knight, the two of us have been awake over 24 hours at this point and transformed most of the time. I know we make this whole superhero thing look easy, but being transformed does take energy. Volpina seems to be laying low for now, and we’re crossing our fingers she’ll stay that way for at least a few hours…unless you’re saying you don’t think you could handle her if she finds you?” Chatnoir challenged the akuma.

“Of course I can handle her.” Penknight huffed. “Which is a good thing seeing as I might have to. Tomorrow’s a school day and the two of you probably can’t afford to miss much more. Besides, _someone_ is going to get suspicious after a while if the two of you keep vanishing the same time Ladybug and Chatnoir appear.” Ladybug did not like the implications of that.

“What do you mean? Ladybug doesn’t go to our school.” Chatnoir chuckled nervously.

“Save it. There might be some sort of weird magic that keeps people from recognizing you when you’re transformed, but it stops working when someone figures out your identities. Some pretty good magic, seeing as Ladybug didn’t even bother to change her hair style. Put in a little effort Mari-”

“OK ENOUGH OF THAT.” Ladybug frantically cut him off. “I need sleep and I need every scrap of energy I have left to deal with Chole.”

“ _Chole_?!” 


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Japanese folklore when a fox steals your appearance to make mischief you will be bed ridden so there are not two of you seen at once.

Adrien vowed to get Luka something really, really nice for his birthday this year. The man was an absolute saint. Viperion had nonchalantly volunteered to ‘assist’ Queenbee in keeping Penknight in check while Ladybug and Chatnoir ‘searched for Volpina’, which was code for the two exhausted heroes going home and getting some rest. It helped that Viperion was charming, handsome, and a surprisingly smooth talker. Adrien suspected that was because Luka’s platitudes were genuine and not just lip service. Chole had thankfully been too smitten to hear Penknight grumble ‘who is chaperoning who here?’ as the bee heroine flirted shamelessly.

All in all getting Chole to agree to let her room be a temporary safe house had taken a lot less begging than any of them thought it would. Sabrina had seemed eager to help as well, happily ferrying drinks and snacks to the visitors. Chatnoir and Ladybug took their leave hopeful that when they returned in a few hours the penthouse room would still be in one piece. 

From there the two heroes snuck back into school to collect their things (class had been canceled for the day due to the ‘stress’ of seeing Lila attacked on TV) and separated to go to their own homes. When Adrien had detransformed, Plag had been surprisingly serious for once.

“I hope you know what you’re doing kid.” The little kwami intoned. He always seemed to know what had happened when Adren was Chatnoir. The blonde guessed that made sense since the spirit basically possessed him.

“I know a lot could go wrong with us knowing each other’s identities, but I trust Marinette. No matter what happens, everything will be okay in the end.” He hoped. One step at a time, and his next step was convincing Nathalie to cancel his afternoon appointments. Nathalie, who was waiting in the foyer with his father. Adrien gulped, this couldn’t be good.

“Adrien, would you care to tell me where you have been the past two hours? Your school called to inform me the day had been cut short, but when I sent the car for you you were nowhere to be found. Your bodyguard is still out searching for you.” Oh shit. Oh shit. _Oh shit_.

“Father I-” Gabriel held up a hand.

“I do not want to hear your excuses. Ever since you started public school your studies have slipped. You have missed appointments, and your health has begun to slip. I can tell just by looking at you you are exhausted, an unfortunately common occurrence as of late. I recognize you are getting older my son, and thus have tolerated your bid for independence so far, but clearly you are not ready to handle these responsibilities. I have already informed the school you will not be returning. An early dinner has been prepared. You will eat, and then go to your room until I call for you in the morning to discuss what happens from here.” Gabriel didn’t even wait for a response, turning on heel and stalking into his office without a backwards glance.

Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat as he obediently followed Nathalie to the dining room. This was fine. He could make this work. He had had more time when he was homeschooled, sometimes finishing his lessons hours before normal school would let out, depending on how hard he worked. Wouldn’t more free time be better if he was going to continue to be Chatnoir? This didn’t mean he had to stop seeing his friends, father hadn’t said anything about that. He still had their numbers and emails. He could still see them after school hours and on weekends. 

Yeah. This would work out. This…was…fine….

————————————

Nathalie caught Adrien as he slumped to the side, the sleeping drugs in his food easily taking over his exhausted body. She felt mild regret that it had come to this, but Andrien had been given a chance to side with them and scorned it. Nathalie did not blame him, he was still just a child. He didn’t really understand how complicated the game they were playing was. Taking him out of it would prevent him from being hurt in the long run.

“Sound asleep already? Poor kitty must be so tired from chasing that black spotted _rat_ around all day.” Volpina dispelled the illusion that had been hiding her. Nathalie slipped the black cat ring from Adrien’s finger as Volpina lifted the boy over her shoulder.

“Take him directly to his room. Hawkmoth will be displeased if there are…detours.” Nathalie didn’t trust the fox akuma, but Gabriel had insisted she was paramount to his plans.

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t hurt a whisker on poor sweet Adrien. I’m glad he’s going to be safely tucked away from all of this, I would hate to have to hurt him.” The older woman frowned, following the akuma out. No, she did not trust the girl at all. Hopefully this would all be over soon, Emilie revived and the Agrestes a whole family again with no need for magic or duplicit allies. 

After confirming Adrien was tucked safely into his bed, Nathalie and Volpina joined Gabriel in his office to present him with the cat miraculous. 

“Excellent work. Never before have we been so close to victory.” The man grinned, clenching the miraculous in his fist. Nathalie shared in his joy. Soon, _soon_ this would all be over. She missed Emilie just as much as anyone. She missed her kind hearted friend.

“So what’s the plan to lure out Ladythug and her merry little band of misfits?” Volpina asked, eager to play her part.

“Ladybug’s allies are exactly what we should be worrying about. Penknight and his would be lover may have failed me, but they did have _some_ use. They wore down Ladybug and Chatnoir into making one very, vital mistake. Volpina, today your reputation was destroyed beyond repair. I think it only fair you do the same to Ladybug. I do not care what you do, but make it vicious, _lasting_. A great failure to this city even a hundred miraculous ladybugs could not erase.”

“Oh, I have the perfect idea. Though I need to wait until nightfall to carry it out. The impact on Paris will be so much sweeter when they wake from their safe slumber to realize they were never safe at all. In fact, I guarantee you that there will be so much negative energy in this city by the time I’m done, you’ll have an army of akuma’s ready to do your bidding.” Volpina’s eyes glittered with wicked excitement. 

“Catalyst stands ready to assist you, Hawkmoth, should you choose to go this route.” Nathalie affirmed. They were so close, she could endure one more transformation.

“Yes…it may come to that. Go, carry out your plan Volpina.” Gabriel dismissed the akuma, who gleefully vanished into an illusion. “As for you Nathalie I have a different mission. We can only assume Ladybug is in a similar state to Adrien. This is the perfect time for Hawkmoth and the new Chatnoir to pay the guardian of the miraculous a little visit.” He purred, slipping the cat miraculous onto her finger. Nathalie knew Emilie would always be first in his heart, but in her own secret one she dreamed of the day the three of them could be together again.

“Yes, sir.”

—————————————-

“Marinette, Marinette! Wake up! _Please,_ something awful has happened!” Tiki sobbed in her ear, jolting her awake. Marinete lurched up in alarm, just barely noting the time on her digital clock. It was nearly five am, and she had crashed as soon as she had gotten home. She had been asleep for over twelve hours. She had only meant to take a nap!

“Tiki, what’s wrong? Why didn’t you wake me sooner?” 

“You were so exhausted, I was going to let you sleep for as long as I could, but I should have woken you when you wanted. I never thought this could happen.” The little kwami drew her attention to a ladybug shaped box sitting on her bed. “It showed up just minutes ago. Oh Marinette, the master…” Tiki cried.

The master? Marinette thought, hugging the distraught kwami. What did this box have to do with him? Using her free hand, she poked one of the black spots. To her surprise, it popped open, revealing a small compartment with…the ox miraculous inside? With a growing sense of dread, Marinette began opening more compartments, finding more miraculous. She stopped cold when a compartment near the top revealed the turtle miraculous.

“Tiki…is this…the miraculous box? What is it doing here?” Marinette knew she hadn’t felt the most charitable towards the old man yesterday, but that didn’t mean she wished him harm. The way Tiki was reacting, Marinette feared something awful had happened to him.

“It’s an emergency ritual to pass on guardianship of the miraculous in times of need. Normally a new guardian is chosen after years of training and the miraculous are passed down during their training, with the previous guardian to mentor them. There have been times in history though when evil have taken a guardian and used them to gain control of the miraculous. This ritual was developed for that. The current guardian names their successor, magically transporting the miraculous to them. In the process, the guardian’s memories of all things miraculous are erased. For Master Fu to have used this ritual, something terrible must have happened.” Something like Hawkmoth? Marinette wondered. 

“Well, there’s one way to find out.” She said, picking up the turtle miraculous. Wayzz glowed into existence. 

“Master!” The green kwami shouted, paw outstretched. When he saw only Marinette, he deflated. “ _Oh_.” He sobbed.

“Wayz, what happened? Where is Master Fu?” Marinette asked softly.

“He…Hawkmoth found us. We transformed into Jadeturtle to hold him off, and it should have worked! Master should have been safe! But…” Wayz paused, head down. “Ladybug…Chatnoir is no more. The cat miraculous has a new wielder, a woman calling herself ‘Panther’, and she is allied with Hawkmoth.”

Ice dripped down Marinette’s spine. She couldn’t breathe. Adrien, _Adrien_. She had to-! 

“Marinette, stop!” Tiki gasped as she frantically fumbled for her phone. “Stop, think! If Hawkmoth has Adrien, calling him could lead Hawkmoth right to you!” 

“I need to know if he’s ok!” Marinette said at the same time Wayz exclaimed “She knows?!”

“She, they found out today. So did Hawkmoth, about Adrien. I had hoped Plag would convince Adrien to give up his miraculous once they were alone, but perhaps that was foolish. Plag has never been one for rules.” Tiki glumly floated over to rest on the miraculous box.

“ _Hawkmoth_ found out his identity and you _let him keep his miraculous_?” Wayz shouted, incredulous. 

“I didn’t think…I didn’t _think._ ” Marinette whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek, before she furiously wiped it away. “No, this isn’t over yet. Hawkmoth may have the cat miraculous, but we have the rest. Good always triumphs over evil in the end. We can fix this.” She vowed, missing the worried glance the two kawmi’s gave each other.

—————————————-

“Penknight, please. If I drink anymore water I’m going to explode.” Marc whispered as the akuma tried to coax him into drinking another glass.

“Are you sure? The doctor said you’d be dehydrated from the medication.” Penknight fretted. “Hydration is important!”

“Where was this attitude a week ago when you drank an entire pot of coffee by yourself?” Marc wondered aloud, amused.

“That’s different. We had a deadline.” Penknight huffed.

“Yeah well, if the two of you don’t shut up and go back to sleep we’re going to have a dead _akuma_.” Chole growled in exasperation from her bed, pulling the covers over her head. “The sun isn’t up yet and you shouldn’t be either. Honestly.” She huffed. “Why did I agree to babysit the two of you again?” The actual babysitter, Viperion, only snored softly on Chole’s couch. The spot had been occupied by Marc until only a couple hours ago, the boy haven woken up and been unable to get back to sleep.

“Because the chance to kiss up to Ladybug was more tempting than telling us to get lost?” Penknight grumbled resting his chin on the top of Marc’s head. The chair was really only meant for one person, but they were making it work.

“I’ll _sting_ your mouth shut if I have to!” Chole threatened, throwing off her covers. The fact that she had been forced to sleep in her clothes due to her company had only further soured her mood. 

“Please don’t sting him, Chole.” Marc sighed, and hugged the arms around his middle. “Penknight, please stop antagonizing Chole. She was nice enough to let us stay here when she didn’t have to.”

“Listen to your boyfriend, Kurtzberg. He’s obviously the one with all the brains in the relationship. Though I have to wonder if you’re killing them with your ugly face. Honey,” She said to Marc “You do know you are WAY out of his league right?”

“I’m just really lucky.” Penknight sighed into his hair. Marc could feel his face heating up. He didn’t agree with Chloe, if anything Nathaniel was the one who was out of HIS league. He was still coming to terms with the fact that the other boy apparently liked him back. Assuming his feelings were real and not some weird side effect of his akumatization.

The black haired boy was broken out of his thoughts by a knocking on the glass doors that lead to Chole’s balcony. Standing there in the beginning dawn was Ladybug, decked out like she had robbed a jewelry store. Floating around her were many different little…animals? Huh. That medication must be stronger than Marc thought.

“Ladybug!” Chole squealed, rushing over to let the heroine in. Viperion blinked as he sat up on the couch, startled awake by the sudden noise. 

“I’m glad to see everything is still ok here at least.” Ladybug sighed as she came inside and closed the door behind her.

“Has something happened Ladybug? Why are you wearing so many Miraculous?” Viperion asked in concern, approaching her. Ladybug looked grim.

“I don’t know when it happened, but Hawkmoth has Chatnoir’s Miraculous, and it gets worse.”

“Worse? How could it possibly get worse than that?” Chole gasped.

“Ladybug is the master now because the previous master had to use the emergency ritual to get us away from Hawkmoth!” One of the little animal spirits, which looked like a mouse, squeaked. 

“Those are kwami.” Penknight, breathed into his ear, noticing his confusion. “They have something to do with how the miraculous work. Chole has one too, though Pollen has been mostly keeping to himself.” Now that the akuma mentioned it, he did see a bee like creature next to Chole. Marc wasn’t sure how he missed it before. Must have been Chole’s natural demand for attention that had diverted his.

“Mullo! Let Ladybug tell the story!” One of the other kwami scolded. It kinda looked like a horse. The mouse creature peeped out a quick ‘sorry!’ and darted behind the ox one.

“That’s actually the gist of it. The ritual removes the previous guardian’s memories, so he should be safe from Hawkmoth trying to get information out of him, but in the meantime we need to come up with a counter offensive to rescue Chatnoir.”

“Um, I actually don’t care about that.” Penknight commented, raising his hand.

“ ‘Knight!” Marc exclaimed, wiggling out of his lap. 

“What? I’m an akuma. I don’t care what happens to the miraculous.” The akuma pointed out, hands ready to catch Marc if he fell. Marc wanted to roll his eyes. His leg was broken, he wasn’t an invalid! Still, the concern was sweet.

“You do care what happens to Marc though, right? Volpina is still at large and certainly helping Hawkmoth. If he wins, she won’t rest until she’s gotten her revenge on Marc for what you and Prism did to her. Helping us defeat him will keep Marc safe.” Ladybug reasoned.

“Well…” The akuma hesitated.

“Chole! Oh my god, _Chole_! Turn on the news!” Sabrina, who had gone home when her curfew was up last night, burst into the room in a panic.

“Sabrina! Can’t you tell Ladybug is talking? Don’t interrupt!” Chole scolded. Sabrina for once didn’t listen to her. Instead she flew to the large tv, fumbling with the remote. 

“-The victims are still being identified, but we have reports that Jagged Stone and our own Nadia Chamak are among them.” Marc recognized the reporter as one who usually did late night reports. What was he doing on the early morning news? The man was pale and clutching his notes so hard it looked like he was going to rip them. He also looked like he was going to be sick.

“The images we are about to show you have been censored, but are still very graphic. Viewer discretion is advised.” The screen cut to many images of people, of _corpses_ hanging from buildings and street lamps around Paris. Near each victim were the same words over and over again; ‘ **Ladybug did this** ’.

Ladybug herself screamed and fell to her knees, her wailing almost drowned out by the cries of the various Kwami as the final image was shown. This one contained two corpses, one that was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and… _Chatnoir_. Viperion wrapped his arms around Ladybug, hiding her face in his chest as she sobbed. Chole and Sabrina clung to each other, shaken. Marc felt Penknight support him as his legs gave out beneath him. Written next to the two figures were simply the words;

“ **You’re next**.”


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took longer because when I started it, I realized I had accidentally written myself into a corner. I think I got out of it in a believable way but we’ll see.
> 
> They say the pen is mightier than the sword. Penknight, having an absolute galaxy brain, thought ‘If I have both I must be unstoppable”

The silence in the penthouse room was broken only by the heartbroken sobbing of Ladybug, drowning out the cries of the various kwami. Marc barely registered Penknight gently guiding him to sit on the floor, in shock from the horrible images.

“It’s not him, Ladybug. It’s not-that’s not Chatnoir. It can’t be if they took his ring! Ladybug- _shit_.” Penknight hissed, leaping to his feet and drawing his sword. Marc hissed inward through his teeth when he saw what had drawn the akuma’s attention. Wiggling their way through the seams in the balcony doors was a horde of red butterflies. No one had to guess who they were after.

“Creation!” Penknight shouted, stabbing the doors. They, along with the windows, twisted into themselves cutting off the insects entry point. The few that had slipped through were swiftly sliced out of the air by the akuma, who was unaffected by their power by virtue of already being occupied by one of them. There were too many though. Viperion saw the errant bug the same time Marc did and hunched over Ladybug, trying to shield her with his body. Marc knew it wouldn’t be enough. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he lunged.

————————————————————-

“ _Ah, Reverser. How good to see you again_.” Scarlet Hawkmoth purred in his ear. Ladybug’s horrified, tear-streaked face was so close to his he could feel her breath. “ _Fitting that you should be the one to bring me Ladybug’s miraculous. After all the reverse of constant_ defeat _is_ victory.” And the opposite of _panic_ is _calm_ , Reverser thought to himself.

“Reversion.” He said, reaching out to touch Ladybug’s face.

“Stay away from her!” Viperion shouted, knocking him back as Ladybug slumped in his arms. Penknight snarled and leapt at the snake hero, sparks flying when his sword met Viperion’s lyre. Reverser heard Chloe shout her transformation phrase, but he had other concerns. 

“What was _broken_ should become _whole_.” He said, touching his leg. He noticed his black half was now red, like he had been drenched in blood. He didn’t like it.

“Viperion, Penknight, stop. I’m ok. Are you ok?” Ladybug asked Reverser, her voice emotionless. He nodded and stood.

“What did you do to her, Reverser?” Queen Bee demanded, keeping Sabrina behind her. Scarlet Hawkmoth echoed her in his head.

“He calmed me down, which I sorely needed. Seeing the Master and…what looked like Chatnoir dead took my sense from me. If Reverser hadn’t used his powers on me, I would be akumatized.” She said, glancing at the remaining butterflies uselessly battering the sealed doors.

“Why would he do that? Akuma don’t just help people out of the kindness of their non-existent hearts.” Queen Bee accused, ignoring Penknight when he coughed.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Reverser asked, taking Penknight’s arm. “When I first became Reverser, it was because I wanted Nathaniel to accept me. He does now. My…drive? I guess you could call it, is gone.” Penknight beamed at him, leaning down slightly to touch foreheads.

“Hopefully some of the other Akuma feel the same way and decide to help _us_ instead of Scarlet Hawkmoth.” Ladybug said, glancing back at the still playing news coverage.

‘ _You will not be one of them_.’ Scarlet Hawkmoth growled in Reverser’s mind. He gasped as intense pain stabbed at his chest. He had to act fast, there wasn’t much time. Gathering what he could of his power as Scarlet Hawkmoth tore at him, Reverser grabbed Penknight by the back of his head and made one last reversion.

————————————————-

Marc clenched his eyes shut as he waited for the vermilion butterfly to over take him. The sensation was warmer than he remembered, and there was a strange pressure on his lips. Wait, what? Marc’s eyes shot open as he stumbled back (vaguely noticing the pain in his leg was gone), hands on his mouth. Penknight gave him a dopey grin that slowly turned thoughtful. 

“You did something to me.” The akuma said, thoughtfully touching his own lips.

“I’ll say.” Queen Bee snorted. When had she transformed? What happened to Ladybug? Marc spotted the uh, spotted heroine near the tv looking much better. Oh. He had already been akumatized and cured. That was fast.

“We’ll have to worry about that later.” Ladybug said. She gestured to the tv, where an akuma Marc had never seen before had taken over the broadcast. They were a man, wearing a white wolf skin cloak, the head of the beast covering their own. The akuma had a hooked staff, the crook gleaming sharply.

“Citizens of Paris! I am the Shepherd. For too long have these so called ‘ _heroes_ ’ been aloud to run free. Join me in aiding Scarlet Hawkmoth to end this terrorist threat! Join the ranks of the Office of Akuma Affairs, claim your rightful power, and turn Paris into Akuma City!” An image of Penknight and Prism from the fateful interview yesterday flashed onto the screen. “A reward for the _race-traitor_ calling himself ‘Penknight’ and his now human bride is being offered to the heroes who bring me their heads!”

“Bride? That’s moving a little fast, don’t you think? We haven’t even had a real date yet.” Penknight mused as Shepard continued to rant. Marc buried his face in his hands and groaned. 

“ _Great_ , now there’s an entire city full of akumas after me.”

“I’ll protect you.” Penknight promised. 

“Marc will be able to protect himself. The reason I came here was to gather allies, and now that the enemy is doing the same that goal is more important than ever. I am going to need all of you to keep the akumas at bay while I find the other heroes so we can, hopefully, rescue Chatnoir.” Ladybug said, holding out two miraculous. 

“Sabrina, Marc, these are the miraculous of the dog and the goat. Use them to protect Paris. When the mission is over, you must return them to me.” 

“Oh my gosh! Of course Ladybug!” Sabrina squealed, accepting the miraculous. The dog kwami zoomed over to her and began excitedly describing his powers.

“My name is Barkk, and I’m the kwami of loyalty! With my power, fetch, you can move an ally out of danger and to your side! To transform say, ‘Barkk, join the pack!’” Sabrina looked elated, while Chloe looked proud. Their friendship might be weird, Marc thought, but it was genuine. Where Sabrina had eagerly accepted, he hesitated.

“Are you sure Ladybug? I’m not exactly a fighter.” He really, really wasn’t. Just the thought of going into combat terrified him. 

“Me either really. That’s probably why Ladybug is pairing us.” The goat Kwami said. “I’m the kwami of dreams, I hate fighting. Sometimes though we have to fight if we want to protect all the beautiful dreams of peace.” Marc held out his hands so the little kwami could sit.

“You won’t need to fight with _me_ around.” Penknight boasted, resting his sword on his shoulder and posing. For some reason the display made Marc incredibly sad. Up til now he had been thinking of Penknight as just Nathaniel, but more bold. That really wasn’t true, was it? The akuma might be part of who Nathaniel was, but he was missing all the other parts that made Nathaniel _Nathaniel_. Marc couldn’t leave him like this, and if defeating Hawkmoth was the only way then…

“I’m Ziggy, and I think we’re going to be friends.” The goat said, sensing his determination. “My power, sweet dreams, lets you send someone into a trance where their fondest dream is lived out. To transform say, ‘Ziggy, start counting!’”. Marc accepted the miraculous from Ladybug, then paused. What was he going to do with hair clips? His hair really wasn’t long enough to hold them in place. He clipped them to the top of his hoodie instead.

“Ok, Barkk, join the pack!” Sabrina’s hero outfit was, cute, in a word. She was predominantly brown and white, with a pair of floppy ears. A wagging tail (was it real?) was attached to the back of shorts that ended mid thigh. Oversized gloves looked like paws, the pads of her fingers pink. Her weapon seemed to be a…frisbee? Well, it fit with the theme. “I think my name will be…Retriever!” The newly dubbed heroine looked at Marc expectantly. Actually the whole room did. Oh boy, time to do this, he guessed.

“Z-Ziggy, start counting.” The transformation washed over him like warm sunshine. Oh, this felt much better than being akumatized. Marc looked down at himself to see a black and white body suit. That seemed to be a theme with his transformations. The two parts of his miraculous had come together to form clasps that secured a black, cottony cloak. Marc felt his head. The hood was up and were those…horns? He gave the curved objects a tug, feeling his skull tug back in protest. Sweet kwami, they were real. The final part of his getup was a wooden shepherd’s crook that seemed to leave a trail of glittery light when it moved. Now that he thought about it, his bodysuit was a bit shinier than the other heroes too. Marc made a face, was it because he was gay? He definitely had some mixed feelings on this.

“Wow, they’re going to be able to see you coming a mile away.” Queen Bee helpfully commented. “Well, what are we calling you sparkles?” That was a good question. Ziggy had sad they were the kwami of dreams, right? Marc watched the light falling from his staff wink out on the carpet.

“…Stardust.” He decided. Chloe sniggered slightly. Penknight used his creation to dump about a gallon of actual glitter on her. “Now they’ll see you too.” He hmphed as she shrieked. 

“The extra visibility is a good thing seeing as we’re going to be distractions while Ladybug gets the rest of the team.” Viperion pointed out while Ladybug nodded.

“It shouldn’t take me long to find them, I know where most of them should be this early in the morning. I’m only going to spend half an hour looking. If I haven’t found everyone by then who we have will just have to do.” Ladybug turned to observe the few butterflies still floating about outside. She seemed too calm for the situation, considering how distraught she had been previously. Stardust wondered what had happened in the short time he had been akumatized to make her like that.

“Is everyone ready?” Ladybug asked. 

“As we’ll ever be.” Viperion said, backed up by nods from the rest. Ladybug smiled briefly, readying her yoyo.

“Alright heroes, let’s take back our city.”


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't like the first part of this chapter, but I needed to get Adrien back in the action SOMEHOW. 
> 
> An honor duel is only valid if both parties have honor. Otherwise, it is just an excuse to beat someone's ass.

The first thing Adrien noticed when he woke up was how hard the action was. Regaining consciousness was like trying to swim upwards with weights on his legs. Forcing his eyes open the boy lay in his bed, wondering how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was coming home, father being furious, and being dismissed to dinner.

“Plagg?” He called, slowly levering himself up. Weak light was filtering in through his large windows. If the sun was just setting, he couldn’t have been asleep for more than a few hours. Which was good since he needed to meet Ladybug, _ Marinette _ , and search for Volpina. Then he saw the time on his alarm clock: 6:14  _ AM.  _

“Plagg?!” He called again, anxiety creeping down his spine. Something wasn’t right. Even dead exhausted he never slept through his alarm, which he would have set for certain last night. Except he didn’t even remember getting to bed so maybe he didn’t. Running his thumb over his ring in a nervous gesture, Adrien froze.  _ Where was his ring? _

Adrien frantically tore the covers off his bed, shaking them out with more energy than he had, before doing the same to the sheets. Nothing. Where else could the ring possibly be? He was dressed in the same outfit as yesterday (another seriously red flag, a model did NOT sleep in his clothes) so the laundry was out. Maybe he had dropped it in the dining room? Adrien hurried to his door, flinging it open only to run head first into his bodyguard.

“Oh, yaaaay! You’re awake!” Huh? Adrien thought, staring dumbfounded at the fondly nicknamed ‘Gorilla’. The man stared back silently. 

“We’ve been sooooo worried ever since Panther and Hawkmoth left! They said you would wake up HOURS ago! Why did you have to sleep so long, I really wanted to finally meet you!” A deep blue kwami zipped around him excitedly. 

“You’re a kwami!” Adrien said, shocked. How had his bodyguard gotten a miracu-wait. Back up. Had the kwami said  _ Hawkmoth _ had been there?

“Yes! I’m Dusu! Very nice to finally meet you! Mayura and Paon talked about you a lot but would neeeever let me meet you! So mean!” He sobbed. Adrien’s bodyguard, whose actual name was Samson, patted the little creature gently on the head.

“You’re Mayura’s Kwami? You said HAWKMOTH was here? Who is Paon? What is going on?!” Adrien questioned in rapid succession. What in the world WAS going on? Hawkmoth having his miraculous explained where it had gone, but how had Samson gotten the peacock? How had Hawkmoth and Mayura gotten into his house? Was his father ok? Samson didn’t look concerned, but if he was working for Hawkmoth…

“I was! Samson is my holder now because Mayura is using the cat miraculous.” Samson grunted, not looking too thrilled at the prospect. “Keep Adrien safe! Hawkmoth said before they left, and that’s what we’re going to do!” Both kwami and holder nodded. The contrast between them was like night and day. Dusu was so energetic where Samson was solemn. 

“Dusu, please. How did Hawkmoth get in here?” Adrien tried to get the hyper kwami to focus.

“He lives here, silly!” Dusu laughed, flying around his head. “Oh, I’m so happy to meet Paon’s chick! She would never let me play with you!” Hawkmoth lived here? In Adrien’s house? Old suspicions crept up like slime sliding down his spine. No. He had proven his father was not Hawkmoth. He  _ couldn’t _ be, he had been akumatized! Hawkmoth couldn’t akumatize himself...could he? Why not, whispered a treacherous part of his brain, Chatnoir could cataclysm himself if he wasn’t careful. Miraculous holders were not immune to their own powers. His father was Hawkmoth. Adrien couldn’t breathe.

“Ohh! Are you ok? You sound wheezy. Did you forget how to breathe? Here I’ll help! And breathe in! And breathe out! And breathe in-!” Dusu cheered as Samson steadied Adrien. The blond boy barely noticed. Everything felt numb. The super villain who had been terrorizing Paris was his  _ father _ . Yesterday when Hawkmoth had been talking about his mother he had thought the man had just been saying things to get to him. The Agrestes were celebrities in the fashion world. His mother’s disappearance had not gone unnoticed. Anyone who followed fashion news would know of it, but Hawkmoth had said they could bring her  _ back _ like he had known where she was. He had said ‘a life for a life’. Adrien really did not like the implications of that.

“Dusu,” Adrien panted, trying to get his breathing under control. Was this what a panic attack felt like? It was awful. “My mother. Do you know anything about my mother? Do you know what happened to her?”

“Of course I know her, she was Paon! I miss her a lot, we helped a lot of people, even you!” Dusu zipped back and forth. “Paon didn’t want to be public like you and Ladybug, but she sent amoks to protect people, or cheer them up. There was even a time we traveled to the aftermath of an earthquake and sent amoks to rescue people! It was so much fun, much more than how Mayura used me.” Dusu sighed, deflating. “My miraculous is broken though, it hurts my wielder over time. She was going to give me up, but then you got really sick. The doctors said something was wrong with your heart, you were gonna die! So she stayed up for two days straight and concentrated reeeeeealllly hard and made her strongest amok ever! It’s still here.” Dusu said, patting Adrien on the chest. Adrien remembered being really sick right before his mother had disappeared. He had had to stay in the hospital for a short time, before making a miraculous recovery. His father told him he had had a bad case of the flu. There was something wrong with his heart? There was an amok inside him, keeping him alive? This was all too much to process.

“But what happened to my mother?” Adrien deliberately took another breath, trying to regain some calm. Samson was helpfully rubbing his back.

“Ooh, well, the effort of making your amok was too much strain. She’s in a coma, trying to heal. Hawkmoth wants to used the Ladybug and Cat miraculous to heal her. He’s so devoted to her.” Dusu began to cry again. 

“A coma? So she’s not dead?” Adrien questioned, feeling a small sliver of hope. “If we use the miraculous, she’ll wake up? No one has to die?” Dusu shrugged.

“Using the Ladybug and Cat to make a wish always has a price. You never really know what it’s going to be before you have to pay it, but it  _ has _ to be something equal. What that means varies from wish to wish. I know Hawkmoth told you you could use some random person as a sacrifice, but you can’t guarantee that. The entity chooses, not you.” Dusu said, serious for the first time since Adrien had met him. “Norro and I have tried to persuade Hawkmoth to look to other means to heal her, she’s not dead so there ARE other possibilities, but with the miraculous right here...he won't listen.” The kwami looked troubled.

Adrien mulled that over. He meant what he said yesterday, he missed his mother and would gladly make a sacrifice to have her back, but he knew she would never accept trading her life for someone else's. From what Dusu had said, the life being traded may be his father’s. His father may be willing to pay that price, but Adrien knew his mother was not and despite how distant he had been since his mother’s disappearance, Adrien didn’t want to lose his father too. If Hawkmoth’s wish failed, he could lose both of them. He was selfish. He couldn’t bear that. He needed his miraculous back.

“Dusu, do you know where Hawkmoth is keeping my miraculous?” The kwami huffed and wagged a finger.

“Mayura has it, she’s Panther now, and you are not getting it back! It’s too dangerous for little chicks outside right now!” Samson nodded in agreement. “There are akuma everywhere by now!”

“Then that’s all the reason for me to get my miraculous back! Ladybug needs Chatnoir!” Not more than you need her, the stressed part of his brain whispered. He tried to ignore it. “If I need a miraculous to get my miraculous, give me the peacock!” Dusu puffed up, fanning his feathers in preparation to argue, but Samson stopped him. The large man and kwami stared at each other for a long time, having some sort of silent conversation. Finally, Dusu deflated, the loser of the argument.

“Ok. I guess one transformation wont hurt you too bad. If you really need to do this Adrien, Plumage will help you until you get your ring back.” Dusu sighed. “Paon would never forgive me if I let her chick get hurt.”

“Plumage?” Adrien questioned.

“Dusu, spread my feathers.” Holy crap Samson could talk.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Penknight! On your left!” Queenbee watched the akuma slice the insect kind of akuma out of the air as Rena Rouge dived to save the newly cured victim. She would NEVER admit it out loud, but his ability to destroy akuma was very useful since Ladybug was still out looking for allies. The fox holder was currently the only one to have shown up. The time limit Ladybug had set was nearly over. It looked like they may not be getting any more help.

Help they sorely needed. For every person they cured, another three akuma took their place. Dozens of akuma Queenbee had never even seen before rushed them, all various combinations of eerie red. The newscast this morning had been truly devastating. Honestly, what were those idiot reporters thinking! Showing something like THAT to a city where anyone who got mildly upset could become a super villain? It was like they were TRYING to help Hawkmoth. Utterly ridiculous. 

“Queenbee, look out!” She felt her breath whoosh out as something grabbed her around the middle and yanked her back just moments before a line of spikes would have hit her. Retriever pounced on the porcupine\octopus creature that had attacked her while Queenbee slapped Stardust’s crook away.

“Keep your glitter to yourself, sparkles. I shine brightly enough on my own without getting your  _ tacky _ dust on me.” She hmphed. Stardust rolled his eyes before using his crook to hook an akuma out of the air as they tried to divebomb the two. A quick snap of her top sent a butterfly fluttering out of a pair of aviator goggles. Penknight cackled with manic glee as he sliced the butterfly in two, before hopping backwards to avoid a flailing tentacle from the porcupine squid thing. The akuma was clearly getting some sort of malicious enjoyment from destroying the other akumas. Queenbee understood, sort of. There was nothing more satisfying than proving yourself better than your competition, but she also thought the akuma was only having fun because he got to swing his sword around and show off for Stardust. Men.

“Ugh. I cannot believe you are attracted to that. Honey, you can do  _ so _ much better.” She meant it. Seeing someone as pretty as Marc pining for someone as nerdy as Nathaniel was a travesty. Pretty people just did not settle for less than the best. That’s what her mother had always said. It didn’t matter how nice a boy’s shoulders looked if his clothes came out of a second hand bin, and don’t even get her started on Kurtzberg’s hair. Had the boy ever heard of conditioner before? The spikey mess of his akuma form was  _ almost _ an upgrade. 

“Says the girl who keeps eyeing his backside.” Rena Rouge snickered, helping Viperion wrestle a compact picasso horror to the ground.

“Hmph! I am  _ obviously _ just noting all the flaws in that garish coat. How could anyone look away from such an insult to fashion? Not that I would expect someone who thinks frosted tips is still a trendy hairstyle to understand.” If Ladybug could return already so they could get around to hunting down Scarlet Hawkmoth that would be great. The team was trading banter to try and keep their spirits up, one of them getting akumatized would be game over, but the battle was taking its toll. There just seemed to be no end to the waves of vermilion drenched akuma.

“It’s ok Queenbee, Penknight does have a very eye catching...coat.” Stardust had the  _ nerve _ to laugh at her. She dismissed him with a flick of her hand and used her top to try and help Retriever get the akuma she had been fighting to hold still long enough to find its akumatized object. This would be SO much easier if any of them could use their powers, but with the time limit they were all reduced to brawling like common street thugs. This was  _ utterly _ beneath Queenbee.

“So the race traitor continues to terrorize innocent akuma. Fear not, my flock! Your Shepard will protect you!”  _ Ugh _ , speaking of things that were beneath her. The akuma horde backed away as Shepard leapt down from a nearby building. Curiously, there was no red on him at all. Even more curious the previously chaotic akuma seemed to be obeying him, neatly stepping out of the way when ordered. Interesting.

“I challenge you to one on one combat!” Shepard declared, dramatically pointing his weapon at Penknight. “When I win, you WILL turn the human you have been  _ consorting _ with over to me!” The red akumas circled the heroes, silent, creating a battle ring of sorts while also trapping them inside. Penknight didn’t seem concerned. 

“You’re that asshole from the hospital arn’t you?” Penknight asked, looking disgusted.

“My adversary recognizes me! Now face me you-what are you doing?” Penknight had turned his sword back into a drawing tablet and was cracking his knuckles.

“I’m going to enjoy this.” Penknight chuckled darkly, before leaping at the wolf headed akuma and ripping the staff out of his hands before the other could even react. The next few minutes consisted mainly of Shepard screaming while Penknight beat him with his own weapon. None of the scarlet akuma moved to interfere, watching silently.

“This is wrong, we should stop him.” Stardust ventured nervously. Viperion stopped him with a hand on his shoulder when he tried to step forward to interfere. 

“Let Penknight have his fun, we need the break. Akuma are pretty hardy. Shepard isn’t being hurt nearly as bad as it sounds.” Viperion said, rubbing at his own shoulders. The snake hero had been transformed longer than any of them and welcomed the respite. 

“Besides, you didn’t hear what that douche was saying at the hospital. He’s getting what he deserves.” Rena Rouge muttered darkly. Viperion gave her an appraising look at that, looking like a lightbulb had gone off but didn’t comment.

“Um, guys?” Retriever asked hesitantly, pointing to a nearby rooftop where Penknight had dragged the other akuma. Penknight hoisted Shepard over his head like Quasimodo and Esmeralda declaring sanctuary, but the look on his face suggested more malicious intentions.

“Ok now we stop him.” Viperion said running for the building.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ladybug snatched another akuma out of the air with her yoyo. Carapace helped the now cured victim to their feet as the purified butterfly fluttered away. Other than Rena Rouge, he had been the only other hero she had been able to find. The two of them had been trying to make their way to the larger battle raging in the distance for sometime now, but kept getting side tracked by stray akuma also heading for the battle. There was no doubt the bulk of them were fighting the larger group of heroes, but there were enough stragglers to present a problem.

“Ladybug!” What now, she sighed internally as someone other than Carapace called out to her. When she turned to address the speaker, she would have been shocked if she still had her emotions. Riding on the shoulders of a large blue akuma was Adrien. She should feel relieved to see him, elated even, but with Reverser’s power still in place she felt nothing. Logically she knew this should distress her but the lack of feeling was freeing in its own way. She hadn’t been this free of stress since she became Ladybug.

“Drop him!” Carapace ordered, squaring off against the blue akuma.

“Whoa, It’s ok Carapace! He’s a friend. This is Plumage, he’s not an akuma. He’s using the Peacock miraculous.” Adrien explained, sliding to the ground. Ladybug appraised the new arrival again. The hulking man wore a deep blue suit that nearly blended into his blue skin. Cascading over a blue headband and almost to the ground were hundreds of peacock feathers instead of hair. A gigantic version of Mayura’s fan was strapped to his back, almost as large as he was. His appearance was very simple and no nonsense.

“It is good to see you are alright, Adrien. I was worried.” She had been. Before. “Why have you come out here? The streets are dangerous.” Adrien paused at her flat tone, eyeing the various kwami floating around her.

“Ladybug, are you...all right? You sound strange.” He asked.

“She was affected by an akuma power that sealed her emotions.” Longg answered for her. “Considering the circumstances of the past few hours, Ladybug decided to leave the alteration in place for the time being to prevent from being akumatized.” The dragon kwami looked like he disapproved of the choice.

“I was wondering about that...but never mind! Adrien, dude! Ladybug is right, it is way too dangerous out here for you to be out and about. Go home man.” Carapace said. Adrien shook his head.

“I can help. This is all my fault, I want to- I  _ need  _ to help fix it.” The determination in his eyes briefly sparked _ something  _ in Ladybug before Reverser’s alteration suppressed it. She wondered what it was.

“How could this all be your fault?” Carapace asked, puzzled. 

“Well…” Adrien glanced at Ladybug, seemingly asking her permission. 

“It doesn’t matter who knows now that Hawkmoth does. Adrien was Chatnoir. Hawkmoth took his ring.” She said, turning away from them to stare searchingly in the direction the larger battle had been raging. Everything had gone quiet. That could not be a good sign.

“ _ Dude _ .” Said Carapace, stunned.

“He did take my ring, but in doing so he showed his hand. I know who he is Ladybug.” She turned to face him, many different emotions being negated as fast as they could rise. Did they have a face for their nemesis after all this time? This was the best news she had heard in a long time. The various kwami chattered excitedly around her. Ladybug inclined her head, silently asking Adrien to continue. He took a deep breath as if gathering strength.

“Hawkmoth is Gabriel Agreste. My Father.”


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to apologize for this taking so long, but it's actually only been a week and that isn't that long in the grand scheme of things. I've been distracted shit posting on https://discord.gg/geus6XM which is a breeding ground for Miraculous Ladybug au's. Pretty much all of them center around Nathaniel at this point but that is open to change. I also accidentally ship Nathaniel\Marinette\Marc\Luka now so *shrug emoji*
> 
> Foxes are very good at digging complex networks of tunnels. You never know where one might pop up.

The moment Ladybug showed up was the exact moment everything went to hell. One moment they were curing the Shepard, who turned back into the wah-wah lacky from the hospital, and the next the group was fighting for their lives. Again. It had been a long twenty-four hours Viperion sighed to himself.

Between Ladybug and Penknight the scarlet akumas were falling at a steady rate. Between Scarlet Hawkmoth a female Chatnoir calling herself Panther, the heroes were dropping only slightly slower. Carapace had used his shelter early on to protect Night Hunter (a hero using the Tiger miraculous he was 90% certain was Adrien) from a flurry of Cataclysms. The turtle hero had been forced to retreat, his five minute time limit long since expired. Plumage had lost his fan in a similar manner, Panther turning it to dust with her Cataclysm before he could create a sentimonster. The new peacock hero was still an asset with his martial power, obviously trained in hand to hand, but he seemed to be tiring more quickly than he should. 

Sabrina was being protected by Queen Bee and Stardust as they tried to find a break in the wave of akuma’s to let her escape. Retriever had used her power to yank Ladybug to her side moments before Scarlet Hawkmoth could snatch her earrings, Ladybug having been pinned by scarlet akumas. Night Hunter was a flurry of claws as he felled akuma’s for Ladybug to purify. Rena Rogue was now helping Penknight fend off Panther, who was after his pen-sword to get his akuma. If they could only get some breathing room Viperion was certain the fox hero could create an illusion to give Sabrina enough cover so she could retreat and hopefully join up with Carapace in finding their kwamis food.

Viperion himself had used his second chance the moment Scarlet Hawkmoth showed up, but the power had expired long ago. He was grateful his miraculous didn’t seem to have a time limit like the others. Judging by how Panther was able to sling cataclysm after cataclysm, she didn’t either. He wondered what the factor was that decided that. He refused to believe it was because she was a better fit for the cat miraculous than Adrien had been. Viperion knew there were secrets within secrets surrounding the miraculous but having a firmer grasp on the ground rules would be nice. Using his power too many times close together made him tired, but didn’t detransform him. If Panther suffered the same problem she might take herself out of the fight soon with how liberally she was using her power.

“Rena, no!” Night Hunter shouted, hand outstretched to the fox heroine. Rena Rogue had had her feet swept out from under her by a scarlet akuma, going down hard. Panther was darting towards the downed heroine with a cataclysm ready. 

“Venom! Shit!” Queen Bee cursed, throwing her energized top. It was too late. The venom hit, paralyzing Panther, but not before she touched Rena Rouge’s miraculous. A horrified Alya clutched at the ashes of her miraculous as her transformation failed. Night Hunter, having tackled Panther only a second after the venom had hit, cursed and hit the ground. 

“Regroup!” Ladybug ordered, her yoyo spinning into a shield as she backed towards the downed girl. Night Hunter collected himself and removed the cat ring from Panther. She reverted a middle aged woman Luka didn’t recognize. Sabrina dived into Alya, hugging her fiercely as the girl stared in shock at her shattered miraculous.

“No!” Scarlet Hawkmoth growled. “Get them! Bring me their Miraculous!” The scarlet akuma fell on them with renewed vigor. 

“We could fight better if we weren’t protecting these guys.” Penknight snarled in frustration, furiously slashing at anything that got too close to their huddle. 

“We can’t just abandon them!” Stardust argued, using his staff like a baseball bat.

“Penknight is right.” Ladybug said. 

“I am?” He started, taken aback. Plumage slammed the scarlet akuma that jumped at Penknight in his distraction to the ground with a haymaker.

“Night Hunter, use your power to take Queenbee, Alya, Sabrina, Plumage, and Nathalie out of here. Feed your kwamis and re-transform if you can.” Ladybug ignored the various protests from the group. “Go. Now.” 

“But Ladybug...taking this many with me...I’m not sure I’ll be able to come back. I might pass out.” Night Hunter pleaded. Viperion winced. Normally Ladybug would never make such a dispassionate decision, but with Reverser’s alteration…

“Ladybug, are you  _ sure _ ?” Viperion gently asked while violently breaking a mixing bowl he had grabbed off an akuma over his knee. Ladybug gave him a cool, emotionless look as she snapped the butterfly out of the air. It sent shivers down his spine, and not good ones. “Maybe…” Viperion thought fast, “Using your lucky charm would reassure them?” He said, catching Night Hunter’s eye. Scarlet Hawkmoth was hanging back shouting orders as his akuma army tried to swallow them. It was only a matter of time before the man joined them in the assault, the horde was thinning.

“Lucky Charm.” Ladybug sighed rather than said. A red and black spotted pillow popped into existence. Her eyes darted around the battlefield in calculation. “Night Hunter, go. Now. Viperion, use your second chance. Penknight, create something above us. Anything so long as it provides a large shadow.” Penknight frowned at her but obeyed, using his creation to create a tent sized tarp about ten feet above them. Viperion nodded in what he hoped was a reassuring way at Night Hunter, who grit his teeth.

“I’m coming back for you, My Lady.” The current Tiger hero promised. “Shadow Step!” He shouted, the specified group sinking into the large shadow at their feet. The tarp fluttered sideways in the wind, tangling on a few akuma who easily ripped it apart. Scarlet Hawkmoth had not been idle. Using the tarp as cover, villain lept towards the sinking group with amazing speed. 

\--------------

“Stardust!” Ladybug barked in command, shoving away an akuma that had tried to tackle her. “Stop him!” The goat hero swung his staff at Scarlet Hawkmoth, but he was too fast. Ducking under the boy’s attack he grabbed Night Hunter by the tail, yanking him out of the shadow. The rest vanished with terrified screams.

“This ends now!” Hakwmoth growled, ripping away the tiger and cat miraculous with one swipe. Adrien fell at his feet, exhausted by the energy it had taken to move so many people. He would deal with his son later. The boy had been brainwashed by Ladybug but no matter. Having his mother back would hopeful end this ridiculous rebellious phase. Emile had always known how to get their son to see reason. 

“Plagg, Noro, Unify.” Scarlet Hawkmoth growled, shoving the ring of the cat onto his own finger. He felt a great rush of power sweep over him like nothing he had ever experienced. If this was what just the cat and the butterfly felt like together he couldn't even begin to imagine how adding the ladybug would feel. He would know soon enough.

“Surrender Ladybug, and I’ll spare you.” He said, confidently striding forward as she backed away in fear. 

“No!” His wayward akuma shouted, valiantly trying to leap to her defense. He almost felt regret at the tearful expression of horror on the young woman’s face as he almost absently turned Penknight to dust with a superpowered cataclysm. The two remaining heroes, the goat and the snake, took up defensive positions in front of her. Scarlet Hawkmoth smirked, raising his hands, a cataclysm smoking in each one.

“No, please!” Ladybug begged, pushing to the front of the line. “Please. You’ve won. Take my miraculous, don’t hurt them.” She begged, pulling off her earrings.

“Of course not. I’m not unreasonable.” Scarlet Hawkmoth said, canceling the cataclysms to finally,  _ finally _ , take his victory in hand. He hardly spared the plain looking young woman another glance, she was neither memorable nor important. 

“Father…” Adrien spoke, hesitant.

“Don’t worry my son, this will all finally be over soon. Your mother will come back to us and we will be a family again. Please understand, _ everything _ I have done has been to bring her back to us.” Scarlet Hawkmoth said, kneeling to place a hand on Adrien’s shoulders.

“She’s….she’s really coming back?” His son asked, tearful. Scarlet Hawkmoth nodded. Adrien clung to him in a hug. “Do it. I miss her so much, bring her back to us.” Briefly but strongly returning the hug, Scarlet Hawkmoth rose and adorned the ladybug miraculous.

“Tiki, Plagg, Unify.” The rush of power was euphoric, almost too much to bear. He was a  _ god. _ No feat was beyond him now. Reaching out with his soul to the familiar one it yearned for, he  _ pulled  _ and….

\---------

“Are you okay? You’re crying.” Penknight fretted, holding Stardust.

“I’m fine. It’s just...his dream...he misses her so much.” Stardust sniffled, wiping at his eyes. Ladybug gently eased the pillow lucky charm out from under Gabriel Agrest’s head. Stardust had managed to hit Scarlet Hawkmoth with his Sweet Dreams just moments before the man had grabbed Night Hunter, allowing the group time to escape. She saw Viperion sagging with relief out of the corner of her eye. It had taken a few Second Chance’s to set this up. The kwami she still had with her were cheering and hugging Noro, who was equally overwhelmed at the reunion. She was glad she had not needed to unify any of them with Tiki. She had been spread so thin the past couple days she wasn’t sure she could have handled the strain long enough to be useful.

“Say goodbye.” She instructed Stardust and Penknight. “Once I use my Lucky Charm he’ll likely revert to Nathaniel.” The akuma started towards her with a dark expression, but Stardust pulled him back.

“Let her.” He said, taking the akuma’s hands.

“But I’ll forget all of this. Everything that’s happened. I won’t be the person you fell in love with anymore, I’ll just be  _ Nathaniel _ .” He spat the name like a curse. Stardust smiled at him gently and kissed him.

“You  _ are _ Nathaniel. At least the most confidant part of him. I like that about you, I’m so shy it’s...comforting to know there’s someone more bold who cares for me.” Stardust pressed their foreheads together. “but I love the shy part of you too. I love the part of you that gets excited when he’s talking about a new akuma design he came up with. I love watching how serene you look while you’re drawing, and how kind you can be, even when someone doesn’t deserve it. I love  _ all _ of you, and that will never change.” Penknight stared into his eyes for a moment, before sighing and pulling the green eyed boy close.

“Do it.” He said to Ladybug, face buried in Stardust’s hood. 

“Miraculous Ladybug.” She said without feeling, throwing the lucky charm in the air. Ladybugs swarmed around her, and all of a sudden the emotions she had been lacking slammed back into her. Viperion caught her as she stumbled to her knees, trying to catch her breath.

“Ladybug?” He asked in concern. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Just need a moment to get used to having emotions again.  _ Oomf _ ,” She breathed out. “I already kind of miss it, can’t feel stress without emotions.” She laughed a little too fast.

“I know a guy who runs a massage parlor if you’re up for it later?” Viperion offered with a smile.

“I may take you up on that.” She said shakily, burying her head in his chest. She couldn’t believe it was all finally  _ over _ . Hawkmoth was defeated and she could finally  _ rest.  _

“Huh. I’m still here.” She turned her head to see Penknight poking himself in the chest with mild curiosity. Ugh. Well, at least he was a loose end that could wait a little while to finally tie up.

“Well, would you look at that. So am I.” Ladybug and Viperion shot to their feet, her earrings giving their first warning beep. Stepping out of the shadows, wearing the miraculous of the Bee, Fox, Turtle, Tiger, Dog, and Peacock was Volpina. Ladybug didn’t see Plagg with the other kawmi and sent a furious prayer that Adrien had gotten away from her safely and she wasn’t just hiding the Cat somewhere.

“Oh Ladybug, don’t look so shocked! You didn’t  _ really _ think it would be that easy did you?” Volpina’s laugh rang in her head like a bell tolling. Maybe that was just the beeping from both her and Stardust’s miraculous. The fox akuma pointed her flute at Stardust. Penknight bristled and growled at her.

“I can’t believe Ladybug gave you a miraculous. Oh well, no matter. Mutton, Butterfly, or treacherous little  _ human,  _ I’m not picky about my dinner.” Volpina grinned, showing off wickedly sharp teeth. Marc’s miraculous beeped on final time, dropping his transformation. 

“This IS my lucky day.” Volpina laughed as Penknight shoved Marc behind himself and raised his sword in warning.

“You’ll never get passed me.” The male akuma growled. Volpina just smirked and laughed again.

“But I _ already have _ .” Ladybug saw the movement out of the corner of her eye and felt stupid. Of course the fox akuma would pull something underhanded like this, she thought in despair as Marc screamed, being dragged into his own shadow by a clawed hand. 

“ _ MARC! _ ” Penknight shrieked, diving for Marc’s outstretched hand. Their fingers brushed briefly before the boy was swallowed up. The mocking laughter of Volpina’s illusion echoed in Ladybug’s head long after it had dissolved into smoke.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went full deus ex here to do some things and I have only slight shame. This is NOT the final chapter.
> 
> Foxes will often fight by standing on their hindlegs and placing their forelegs on their opponent’s chest. They try to push each other over in a trial of strength. The loser is often chased and may be badly bitten or savaged if they fail to escape.

Marinette wasn’t quite sure what happened after Volpina had snatched Marc away from them. Everything felt numb and distant, almost like Reverser had altered her again but without the clarity.

“Is she going to be ok?” She heard distantly. The voice sounded worried. Worried about her. Someone was  _ worried about her _ , why were they worried about her?

“She is in shock. It is not surprising, considering recent events.” A man, older. Who? Did it matter? Nothing she did mattered. Every time she thought they had finally won, fate cruelly laughed at her and kicked her in the face.

“Dude, you of ALL people don’t get to say shit about this.” Boy. Younger. Angry. She could relate. She was...she was  _ angry _ .

“Nino...please. Not now.” Why not now? Now was the perfect time to be angry, to be  _ frustrated _ . 

“Why do things keep falling apart?” She asked, angry tears pooling in her eyes. 

“Marinette? Are you back with us? Are you ok?”  _ Tiki _ .

Marinette rubbed the tears from her eyes and struggled to focus. The red kwami was hovering close, looking very concerned. There was a warm pressure on both sides. Sitting to her left was Luka, gently rubbing the back of one hand. To her right was Adrien, stroking her hair. They both looked very tired. Dry tear tracks dirtied Adrien’s face. Sometime between Volpina’s latest dirty trick and now they had moved indoors. Inside (Marinette noted the decor) the Agreste mansion? Standing around them were the miraculous holders who had been at the battle, including a remorseful looking Gabriel Agreste and...Marinette rubbed at her eyes again.

“Are you...Emilie Agreste?” She gasped, wondering if she was still in shock and hallucinating. The woman she had only seen in photos gave her a strained smile.

“Yes, though I’m not entirely up to date on events. It seems I have been...asleep.” Marinette’s mind spun. Adrien squeezed her shoulder.

“Your Miraculous Cure healed her.” He explained. “Believe me, we were all just as shocked when she called my father’s phone. Apparently your ladybugs dropped her in his study.”

“Wh-why-HOW?” She spluttered. “I’ve used my miraculous cure dozens of times, why do this NOW?” 

“Your cure can’t fix what you don’t know about. Well, sort of.” Tiki began to explain. “The cure works off of what you think should be right. So when the ladybugs fix akuma damage, it’s because you think that is wrong. You don’t have to know everything that broke or everyone that got hurt, just that they shouldn’t be.” 

“If I had known it was that simple...I would have still been after your miraculous but I would have  _ explained. _ I cannot begin to tell you how deeply sorry, and  _ grateful _ I am Ladybug.” Gabriel said, holding Emilie close. “I know that in no way excuses what I’ve done to this city, or to your personally but believe me when I say I want nothing more to do with the miraculous.” 

“You MURDERED dozens of innocent people, and you think you can just say SORRY?!” Alya stepped forward, jabbing him in the chest with a finger. Emile looked shocked, taking a step back from him.

“You  _ what _ ?”

“ _ Volpina  _ is the one responsible for this morning’s...unfortunate events.” Nathalie defended. Alya wasn’t hearing it.

“Volpina? You mean the akuma HE created? The one that, unlike Penknight, he could still control? You think we’re going to buy that?!” Alya demanded. 

“Stop.” Luka’s voice cut through the growing argument. “Persecution can come later. We have bigger problems right now.” He looked down at her and continued “Penknight is tearing apart the city looking for Marc. We would have sent someone after him but…” He winced.

“Everyone was exhausted, our miraculous are gone, and  _ you  _ had checked off into lala land.” Chloe huffed from off to the side. “My suggestion to just let  _ me  _ take the ladybug earrings and deal with him was foolishly rejected.”

“And unanimously.” Adrien added. “We all  _ really _ needed the rest. Penknight is mostly doing collateral damage and it may be selfish to think this, but that’s nothing the miraculous cure can’t handle when we do take him down.”

“He’s right Marinette, things can be replaced. You can’t. Your health comes first.” Tiki said, patting her knee. Now that she was coming out of her shock, she noticed the other miraculous she had been wearing were gone. 

“Where are…?” She started to ask, patting herself down.

“You were exhausted and in shock. Even if they’re not activated the miraculous take a tiny bit of strength from you. Just one isn’t noticeable, but with the amount you were wearing…” Tiki explained. 

“We thought it would be better to take them off. Don’t worry, they’re safe.” Adrien promised. “Plagg is nearby too, gorging himself on cheese.” The blonde boy looked exasperated, but fond.

“So what’s the plan, _ Ladybug, _ and don’t think I’ll forget that you didn’t tell me about that!” Alya asked, forcing a grin. Marinette looked around. They were all so  _ tired.  _

“I  _ guess _ I’ll accept an inferior miraculous to help sort this out. If I  _ have _ to.” Chloe was studying her nails in fake disinterest. Sabrina nodded with more genuine enthusiasm from her side. Luka was a warm, comforting presence by her side. Adrien the same on the other. Marinette took a deep, calming breath and made her decision. 

“Ladybug and Chatnoir are going to take down one last akuma.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Can you hear him out there? The poor thing has absolutely lost his mind. How  _ pathetic _ .” Volpina mocked, pausing in her detailed (and ever changing) rant about how she was going to make Marc pay for humiliating her as a furious scream sounded in the distance. Marc squirmed in the rickety chair he was tied to. He had no idea where the shadows had deposited them, but it looked abandoned. Dirt, dust, and broken plaster lay about. Plastic rustled in the breeze as it failed to cover the single, broken window. The brief glimpses of the skyline Marc had gotten through that window suggested they were a few stories up, at least.

Volpina began pacing and ranting about what she was going to do to him again (were we back to being boiled alive? Cool, Marc thought absently) the kwami of her stolen miraculous hovering silently as they had been ordered to. Marc’s heart wrenched as he watched the Barkk try to comfort a shaking Ziggy. His jacket was torn from where Volpina had ripped the goat miraculous away. Even more heartbreaking were the screams that kept drifting through the window on the wind. Penknight had spent the past  _ two days  _ more or less protecting him, only to have Volpina steal Marc from him as easy as one might candy from a baby. He couldn’t imagine how the akuma was feeling right now. His more pressing concern was escaping from Volpina. He needed a  _ plan _ .

“Are you listening to me?!” Volpina demanded, slamming the chair he was tied to against the wall with one hand, getting in his face. The fox miraculous dangled so close he could almost...touch it...this was the  _ dumbest _ idea he had ever had. Lunging forward, he grabbed the miraculous with his teeth and yanked. There was a brief moment when Marc feared his teeth were going to be torn out as Volpina stumbled backwards, but the chain snapped first.

“How DARE you-!”

“Trixx, Let’s Pounce!” The fox kwami gasped, zipping to his side as he was released from Volpina’s command.

“Trisch, Letsh Pounsh!” Marc said through clenched teeth. Apparently that was good enough for Trixx as Marc felt the transformation take him over. He saw Volpina realize what he was doing mid transformation and lunge at him in slow motion. Not even a fraction of a second had passed from completing the transformation to Volpina slamming him through the wall behind him. Wood and plaster shattered around them in a way Marc was sure would be extremely painful with the protection of the miraculous. 

“That is MINE give it BACK!” Screeched Volpina, tearing at him. It was all Marc could do to keep her clawing hands away from the miraculous that now rested around his neck. Calling the struggle going on ‘wrestling’ would have been too generous. It was mostly just Volpina attempting to maul him as he frantically tried to escape. During the flailing his own hand managed to score lines across Volpina’s face. As she reared and shrieked, clutching at the bleeding cuts, he finally managed to scramble out from under her. Filing away the fact that he apparently had  _ claws  _ now for later, the unnamed fox hero dove for the open window. 

“Shit shit  _ shit.”  _ He hissed as his leap thrust him into open air, the ground more than three stories away. Thankfully the miraculous must come with SOME sort of autopilot function as he instinctively hit the ground in a roll that brought him back to his feet, instead of splatting against the concrete. Two furious screams rang through the city, one coming from the condemned apartment building behind him, the other from further in the city.

Using his newly discovered claws to get to the top of the next building over, he headed for the more distant commotion. Volpina was so hot on his heels he swore he could feel her breath. The curses and threats she was screaming at him were certainly nothing he would repeat in polite company. The scenery streaked by him in a blur as he fervently hoped she would remain too incensed to remember she had more miraculous she could use. 

Up ahead he could see Ladybug and Chatnoir squaring off against an absolutely furious Penknight. The rooftop they were on was littered with gouges and odds and ends Marc assumed the akuma had created to throw at the duo. They hadn’t noticed him yet.

“Help!” He shouted, bounding closer. Volpina just screamed insults behind him. The next moment couldn’t have been more than seconds but felt like it took forever. He saw a lightbulb go off in Ladybug’s head, she shouted something to Chatnoir, Marc dove for them, Chatnoir’s baton whooshed over his face so close he could almost taste it as he limbo slid under it, Volpina’s screaming cut off with a choking noise as the cat hero clotheslined her. Marc panted as he lay where he had skidded, more out of adrenaline than anything. The miraculous protected him from being out of breath from his frantic run. Ladybug’s yoyo goes clattering across the rooftop as Penknight manages to use the sudden chaos to bat it out of her hands.

“It’s me!” Marc squeaked, jumping between the Akuma and Ladybug, Penknight winding up for another swing.

“Marc?” The akuma questioned, suspicious.

“MARC!” Volpina screeched, getting her wind back. Chatnoir was equal parts trying to fend her off and grab her miraculous. Any of them.

“It’s him!” Ladybug promised, retrieving her yoyo to help Chatnoir.

“How do I know you’re not an illusion?” Penknight hissed, looking conflicted. Marc stomped on his foot. Like someone had flipped a switch, the snarling akuma transformed into a beaming hug monster.

“You took her miraculous!” He gushed. Marc squirmed away from him.

“Details later, taking Volpina down now!” Marc scolded as Chatnoir went sailing past them.

“You’ll never defeat me. I hold more power than any of you could possibly imagine!” Volpina snarled backing up. 

“Don’t do it Volpina, you won't be able to handle the strain!” Ladybug pleaded, seeming to realize the vixen’s plan. Volpina just smirked.

“Wayzz, Barkk, Ziggy, Pollen, Roarr, Dusu, Unify!” What happened next was hard to describe. Multicolored light strobbed as wind pressure pushed everyone back. Volpina’s form rose from the ground and flickered like static, changing too fast for Marc to comprehend. The sound she was making was less of a scream and more of the universe ripping.

“We have to get the miraculous off her before they kill her!” Ladybug shouted over the wind.

“Why?” Penknight asked. He was ignored.

“How are we going to do that, My Lady? We can’t even get close!” Chatnoir asked, bracing against the wind.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug shouted, a heavy object thumping down in front of her.

“Is that...an electromagnet?” Marc questioned, grateful for Penknight’s grip on him. For some reason his transformation had made him even skinnier than he already was. Of the four of them he was having the most trouble keeping from being blown away. Maybe it was so he could leap rooftops easier? The flute strapped to his back wasn’t any good for that, unlike Chatnoir and Ladybug’s weapons. Now really wasn’t the time to think about that.

“Is that honestly going to work? Are the miraculous even magnetic?” Penknight wondered.

“It’s magic!” Ladybug snapped, looking around the rooftop in an attempt to find clues on how to use her lucky charm. “It cannot be as easy as flipping a switch.” She muttered to herself.

“My lady, if you do that, what about  _ our _ miraculous?” Chatnoir questioned. Volpina’s eldritch screams were losing steam. Ladybug looked panicked.

“We’ll have to hold on to them and hope, but if I’m holding my earings I can’t flip the switch!”

“Oh please, allow  _ me.”  _ Penknight said eagerly, turning his sword back into a tablet and passing Marc to Chatnoir. Ladybug hesitated for a second, taking in the sight of Volpina being magically ripped apart and put back together, then nodded, firmly covering her ears with both hands. Penknight chuckled darkly as he flipped the switch. Marc dug in his heels, Chatnoir’s arm iron around his waist, as the powerful magnet tried to drag him forward by the miraculous. 

At first Marc was worried the magnet wasn’t going to work, but then Volpina’s miraculous began to hit the magnet one by one with solid thunks. When the last one had been collected and Volpina lay dazed and panting on the rooftop, Penknight switched the magnet off. Ladybug stepped forward to check on Volpina, who only lay there and wheezed. Chatnoir began picking up the miraculous, handing the goat barrets to Marc with a smile when Ziggy zipped over to him for a hug.

“I can’t find her akumatized object.” Ladybug called to them, distressed. Volpina gasped a laugh and used the ledge of the rooftop to lever herself up.

“Oh, I’m sure you can figure it out if you think hard enough.” She mocked. 

“Lila please, you almost killed yourself with that stunt. Let us purify you so you can rest and heal.” Ladybug pleaded, hands out to catch the akuma if she fell. Chatnoir’s eyes trailed down to where Volpina was clutching her chest.

“ _ No _ .” He breathed.

“Yes!” Volpina cackled. “My akuma might be second hand from that miserable  _ wretch  _ Prism, but at least he knew where to hide it. The only good idea he’s ever had, I’ll wager.”

“Her heart.” Chatnoir said sounding numb, “The akuma is in her heart.”

“You see Ladybug, no matter what you’ve done I’VE won! You’ll never get my akuma without killing me, something you pathetic heroes will never have the stomach for!” Ladybug looked horrified, backing away from the laughing akuma.

“It’s only a matter of time before I take your miraculous and- Hrk!” She coughed, cut off mid sentence by Penknight’s sword going through her chest. 

“Ugh, finally you stop talking. It’s a pity you’re probably going to be just fine after this, and I’ll have to go back to listening to your nattering.” Penknight grumbled, using his boot to push Volpina’s limp body both off his sword and the roof. Marc took in the akuma’s look of manic, wicked satisfaction as he watched the body fall and said:

“We have  _ got _ to cure him.”


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue! Just wrapping some loose ends up.
> 
> A fox will tell you a thousand lies without once saying anything that isn't true.

“Today the most sensational trial of the decade concluded with a guilty plea from Gabriel Agreste, better known to most as Hawkmoth. Mr. Agreste has been sentenced to serve only ten years of prison time, a most controversial decision. One month ago his final akuma rampage killed no less than forty one people, this reporter included. By only one deciding vote the jury has decided ‘not guilty’ to the accusations as thanks to Ladybug no permanent damage was found to be done. Additional charges included-”

Nathaniel tapped the x in the corner of the video to close it and shut his eyes with a sigh. Nadia looked tense in the report, clearly not agreeing with the verdict, and he sympathized with her. That same sympathy was why the jury had voted the way they did. Mr. Agreste may have pleaded guilty, but he still had very good lawyers. They spun a thrilling tale of desperation and love, a man grieving his fallen wife (who had secretly been a superhero) and doing anything he could to revive her. The fact that Paon was now a public hero (the peacock miraculous being repaired) only helped matters for him. With Hawkmoth gone Paon was more of an everyday hero, using her sentimonsters to help with things such as construction and rescuing kittens from trees, but the city adored her. Knowing Mrs. Agreste personally Nathaniel knew she did it out of guilt for what Gabriel had done to the city to revive her.

Speaking of heroes he knew personally, Marinette had been lightly hinting that he and Marc should come out with her, Adrien, and Luka on a double date. Nathaniel supposed being the embodiment of a luck based superhero was good for something. Nathaniel was felt he was lucky just to have one boyfriend. A boyfriend he was currently hiding on the school roof to avoid. Not that there was a problem with Marc! No the problem was entirely with Nathaniel, or rather his memories. In his final moments, Reverser had attempted to use his powers to allow Nathaniel to keep his memories of his time as an akuma. Due to the miraculous cure it had half worked. One moment he could be looking into Marc’s dazzling green eyes in the art room, and the next he would be looking into a different, otherworldly pair of green. His treacherous mind giving him flashes of warm lips and an even warmer body against his own. He was sixteen, male, and not at all equipped to deal with sudden  _ feelings _ bowling him over out of nowhere.

So he did what any boy his age would do in that situation and ran away to hide on the roof in hopes that the cold air would help those ‘feelings’ go away. Why did his akuma self have to be so-so...bold! Penknight might have been able to just kiss his boyfriend whenever and wherever he wanted, but Nathaniel sometimes worried his heart was going to explode just holding hands. Sure, he was a little more confident in private, but a sudden urge to heavily makeout in the middle of a public space? Not possible. 

“Nath?” Marc popped his head around the corner. The sound Nathaniel made was not manly. The bastard had the nerve to laugh at him. Face burning, Nathaniel scooted back to where he had been sitting before Marc decided to jump-scare him halfway across the roof. Said boy sat down next to him, their shoulders touching.

“It happened again, didn’t it?” Marc asked, resting his head on his knees. “Judging from the look on your face before you ran I’d say it was a pleasant memory.” He teased.

“It um,” Nathaniel coughed to try and prevent his throat from closing up, “It was.” They both blushed and looked away from each other.

“...You know,” Marc began “One of these days you’re going to have to actually give me more details about what you keep seeing other than ‘hrk’ ‘gack’ ‘hnnng!’ and changing the subject. I mean, with how red your face goes I can guess, but it would be nice to have it confirmed if I still have my virginity or not.” ‘Hrk’, ‘gack’, and ‘hnnng!’, plus more were included in the intelligent reply Nathaniel tried to stammer out. His only consolation was Marc looked just as embarrassed. 

“We-” The redhead started, then took a deep breath for strength. “We didn’t go...that far. Hawkmoth was...watching.” Nathaniel left out the part where the villain had been gone for several hours, leaving the two to their own devices. He was in the area of 90% sure they hadn’t gone farther than making out, and fervently hoped he was right. If just remembering kissing sent him into fits, he would probably  _ die _ if he suddenly recalled...other things. Time to change the subject.

“So um, you usually don’t come after me when I get overwhelmed from remembering stuff. What are you up here hiding from?” Marc had offered, when the flashbacks first started, but Nathaniel needed the time alone to sort out what he was feeling, after.

“Berger and his cronies are here.” Ugh,  _ that _ man. 

“They really don’t seem to care about those restraining orders, do they?” Nathaniel sighed. “Who are they after today, Adrien, Lila, or us?” While Adrien still roamed the city as Chatnoir, only a select few knew who was behind the mask. The Wah Wah were more interested in him as the son of Hawkmoth and Paon. The interviews and public admissions to her identity the first time she had become Volpina had really come back around to bite Lila in the ass. She had been publicly declared innocent of any all and crimes committed while Volpina, as cured akumas were acknowledged to have no memory or control of their akuma actions, but the zealous Office of Akuma Affairs hounded her without mercy. Nathaniel had zero sympathy for her, as she had outed him and Marc as Penknight and Prism the first chance she got to try and take some pressure off her own skin. It didn’t work, and now all three of them had to deal with idiots stalking them.

“Anyone they can sink their claws in I guess. Principal Damocles was arguing with them by the entrance when Rose let me know they were here. I figured freezing my ass off up here with you was the better alternative than trying to sneak past them.” Marc grumbled, pulling his knees in tighter. Early March in Paris was not the best weather to be sitting around outside without a coat in. Nathaniel hesitantly put an arm around him. Marc snuggled into his side with a sigh. 

“Sorry, the roof seemed like a good idea at the time.” Nathaniel apologized. Marc didn’t reply, only scooting closer. “We could probably sneak into the library from here if you would like to go back inside?” 

“Oh my god yes. If I stay out here any longer I’m going to be a popsicle.” Marc wasted no time jumping to his feet and pulling Nathaniel along with him. Letting himself be pulled along, Nathaniel smiled, grateful that this entire ordeal had ended on a happy note.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Thank you so much for letting me wait for Marinette! She’s been so helpful tutoring me.” Lila waved to Mr and Mrs Dupain-cheng, her smile fading as she climbed into Marinette’s room and out of sight. She didn’t know how it had happened, but after being cured she had lost her place as the class favorite to Marinette. She had tried every trick she could think of, saying that Nadia and Jagged had been forced by  _ Penknight _ to claim not to know her. That Hawkmoth had manipulated her for his own ends. That she was just a poor victim in that awful fiasco, but nothing had worked. The class had neatly split down the middle between her supporters and Marinette’s. Heck, Nathaniel had been outright hostile to her.

She had used his animosity as an excuse to switch classes and while her new class was happy to give her the admiration she deserved, she could not,  _ would not, _ accept that Marinette had beaten her. Glancing about the girl’s room she looked for anything she could use to incriminate her. To blackmail her. Hell, even to just plain HURT her. She picked up a ladybug bug shaped box on Marinette’s desk and looked for a way to open it. Figures the girl would be a Ladybug fan. Running her hands over the spots, she felt one give slightly. When she pressed again a compartment opened, revealing a silver and purple butterfly pin. 

The compartment came all the way out and could be folded over into a small box. Much more convenient than taking the entire thing. Lila pocketed the first box and reached out to touch another spot, only to hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Hastily, she set the box back on the desk just in time for Marinette to appear.

“What are  _ you _ doing here?” Marinette growled. 

“Marinette! I came to apologize.” Lila turned up the charm. “This past month, in my new class, well some distance from the situation really made me realize how horribly I treated you and-” Marinette cut her off.

“I don’t believe any of that for a second.” She fumed. “What are you  _ really  _ doing here?”

“Marinette” Lila sighed. “Can’t we ever put all this passed us and be friends?” She smiled.

“Not until you prove you’ve actually changed. Sneaking into my room while I’m not here is a terrible start.”

“If we can’t have an honest conversation, I should just go…” Lila trailed off, schooling her expression into a remorseful one.

“Please do.” Marinette was not moved. She did hold the door open for Lila and walk her all the way out, no doubt to keep an eye on her. Lila didn’t mind. She might not have gotten anything world ending from this trip, but maybe she could at least pawn the pin in her pocket for some cash. The thing looked as though it was made of real silver, sure to be worth a good amount.

Oh yes, she had a good feeling about how this was going to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there you have it, that's it for Holloa. Will there be a sequel? Perhaps. It is canon that there is a Hawkmoth several years in the future. Not sure how I would go with making that Hawkmoth Lila without her knowing who Ladybug was, or at least where to get the rest of the miraculous since she picked up the Butterfly from Marinette. Oh wait I do have an idea....hm. Maybe. I'll think about it ok. Lila makes the most sense out of everyone to be Hawkmoth 2.0


End file.
